Unicorns & Angels : The Trial
by 739678
Summary: Third story in the Unicorns & Angels series. Dealing with the deaths of Finn, Kurt and Blaine had been bad enough, but the trial of their killer brings a whole new set of revelations, and opens up the lid on a can of worms - the life of the Warblers under Hunter. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Notification of Trial

**CASE INFORMATION**

Court: **New York Supreme Court - Criminal Term**  
Case #: **08506-2013**  
Defendant: **Clarington, Hunter**

**Defendant**

Name: **Clarington, Hunter**

Birth Year: **1995**

NYSID: **5970361H**

**Incident and Arrest**

**Incident**

Date: **September 20, 2013 **

CJTN: **66629185P **

**Arrest**

Date &amp; Time: **October 4, 2013 02:56 **

Arrest #: **M13983754 **

**Officer**

Agency: **NYPD **

Command: **18 **

**Attorney Information**

**Defense Attorney**

Name: **M****astert****on, G**

Type: **Private (Retained)**

Court Date: **October 5, 2013 **

Court Part: **1**

**Assistant District Attorney**

No Information on File

**Next Appearance**

Date: **February 10, 2014 **

Court: **New York Supreme Court - Criminal Term **

Judge: **Horowitz, L **

Part:** 1**

_Unicorns &amp; Angels : The Trial coming soon..._


	2. Court Clerk Instructions

_Copies of this document to the undernoted_

_Mr Cooper J. Anderson_

_Miss Rachel B. Berry_

_Mr Samuel Evans_

_Congressman Burt Hummel_

_Ms Santana Lopez_

_Mr Trent Nixon_

_Airman (1__st__ Class) Noah Puckerman_

_Mr Sebastian G. Smythe_

**New York Supreme Criminal Court**

**100 Centre Street**

**New York**

**New York 10013**

**Witness Summons**

**You are hereby notified that you have been called as a witness for the prosecution in the case of Hunter Clarington. You will be required to report to the above court at 08.30 on Monday 10****th**** February 2014. The trial is scheduled to last a minimum of 3 weeks. The prosecuting attorney will be in touch with further details in due course. If any changes to schedule should occur, you will be notified.**

_Copies of this document to the undernoted_

_Mr Jeff Sterling_

**New York Supreme Criminal Court**

**100 Centre Street**

**New York**

**New York 10013**

**Witness Summons**

**You are hereby notified that you have been called as a witness for the defence in the case of Hunter Clarington. You will be required to report to the above court at 08.30 on Monday 10****th**** February 2014. The trial is scheduled to last a minimum of 3 weeks. The prosecuting attorney will be in touch with further details in due course. If any changes to schedule should occur, you will be notified.**

_The stage is set - the actual story should begin on Sunday. It will begin with a flashback to the days immediately after Hunter's arrest. My thanks to all those who are already following - you have given me great encouragement._


	3. 02:26am 5th October 2013

**02.26am 5****th**** October 2013**

Blaine was dead.

As Brittany had said, he had gone to join Kurt. No reason to be sad. This was a good thing.

Sam could not agree. It felt as if his heart had been ripped out, replaced by a series of barbs and spikes. He could not sleep, and right now, it felt like he would never do so again. If he hadn't gone to him with his suspicions over the Warblers; hadn't kept on at him until he had got fully involved and pulled in Trent and Finn… Maybe he would still be here, along with Kurt and Finn. Blaine would tell him it wasn't his fault - wouldn't blame him - nobody would. Except for one person - himself. He didn't deserve to sleep, to be happy. His actions had caused three deaths, and put Trent and his own family at risk.

At least Hunter Clarington had been caught. Blaine's last act in life had been to put the pieces together and convince the police to go after him. The cops had informed Sam of his arrest that morning, not long after Blaine had died. His gang of associates would follow shortly behind him. Justice could begin to roll down - too late to save Finn, Kurt or poor Blaine, but nonetheless, it was a victory for them. Sam knew that in time he would find himself on the witness stand - he, Puck and Santana would have to relive those awful moments in the alley. It was all still so vivid; he would have no trouble in recalling every minute detail.

Just now, he needed to do something to work through his grief. The rage that was built up inside of him was so all consuming that he wished that he could have been the one to find Hunter, and have done unto him what he had done to Kurt. Sam was usually such a placid, peace loving soul, but right now, he would have no issue in battering that scum to death. It would be worth any punishment, in heaven or on earth, to have that moment of satisfaction. Having that much anger burning inside him scared Sam.

He knew that he would not be alone either - by his side would be Puck, Santana, Quinn, Mike, Nick, Wes…. The list went on and on, and the terrifying thing was the number of people who would usually be so anti-violence that would be there by his side. It was like that old Albert Finney film that he had sat and watched with Blaine one night on cable whilst Kurt was at work. _Murder on the Orient Express_. Everyone coming together to avenge a death. This time, the string of attackers would be the New Directions and the Warblers. Between them all, Hunter would not stand a chance.

It came to him as suddenly as it had on the day that he had found out that Finn had died - in what they had then all believed to be a tragic accident. Sing out the pain. Express vocally all the hurt, the anger. He moved to grab his guitar, which he had placed next to his spot on the couch when they had thought that Blaine was coming, so that they could sing together as they had done so often before. In doing so, he disturbed Artie. He hadn't even realised that his friends head was on his shoulder as he slept. As always, the smaller man realised exactly what Sam was intending - he was always so very perceptive. Then again, he probably felt exactly the same way as Sam. He took up his guitar and played a few soft chords. He looked up at Artie, whose eyes were still red raw from crying earlier - he nodded, and knew at once what Sam was going to play. He altered the opening lines just slightly to reflect the situation.

"_Just yesterday evening, they told us you were gone,  
__Blaine, the plans he made put an end to you.."_

They sang together quietly, but still managed to wake the three girls, who made their way to sit with them and sing along. No-one was sleeping soundly that night, although they did not know it at the time.

Mercedes was awake and writing a sad song of loss for her album.

Mike and Tina were sitting together, arms wrapped around each other, as if they were afraid to let go.

Puck and Quinn were in the same position in a room in Ohio.

Nick was wide awake, cradling Jeff as he slept fitfully.

In Dublin, Rory Flanagan was sat in the departure lounge at the airport, his life packed up into two suitcases.

Wes was sat on the overnight train from Boston, that was now slowly crawling through The Bronx on its way to Penn station.

In the Bushwick loft, they sang together until just before four in the morning, and then the girls returned to their beds. Artie fell asleep soon after too, this time laid out on the couch rather than sat in his chair. Sam himself sat and brooded on everything that had happened, and what he was going to do the next day. He knew that Rory had to be met at JFK at around two. He would then take him with him on another flight to Columbus, where Burt and Cooper would be expecting him. That he realised gave him enough time to carry out his plan. He did not want the others to know - they would warn him off. That knowledge made him all the more determined to carry it out. He would go to the Criminal Court in Manhattan and be there when Hunter was arraigned. He wanted him to know that he was there; that he knew exactly what he had done, and that he, Sam Evans, was going to make him pay for it, if it was the last thing he did.

Santana Lopez found herself waking up again at about seven that morning. Not that she had really slept at all that night. After crying her eyes out after hearing the tragic news - quite why it had affected her so much she was unaware - she had fallen asleep in Brittany's arms. A disturbed and uneasy sleep, where dreams of gunshots had woken her every so often. Then it had been Sam and Artie singing to each other - poor devastated Sam, under threat of death himself and having to cope with the loss of his best friend on top of that. She had joined them and it had helped. For once, the songs assisted as they had never before. After that, she had returned to bed, to fall asleep in the arms of the woman she loved. Until now, when a sound from somewhere in the loft roused her.

Carefully, she got up, not wishing to wake up Brittany. Even though she had been so calm and unemotional last night - the only person in the room who had stayed dry eyed and composed in fact - today might well be different. She might suddenly realise that both of her dolphins were gone, and that fact might make her fall apart. She walked slowly past Rachel's space, where she could see her friend still curled up under the sheets. Past Sam's empty bed and the closed curtains to Kurt and Blaine's space - a part of the loft that no-one, to her knowledge, had entered since the Schuesters had taken away the most obvious signs of Kurt after that night, and out into the living area. Artie lay there on the couch, asleep, but from the whimpering noises, probably having a bad dream. He had chosen to stay there rather than take Sam's bed, so that he could be close to him….

That was when she realised that Sam wasn't there. The blankets he had taken from her last night were crumpled on the chair that he had been sitting in. he wasn't in the kitchen either, and a quick check of the bathroom revealed only one thing - he was gone. 'If I was the type to panic,' thought Santana, 'I would be thinking that he had gone to one of the bridges to jump. Or had gone to the Subway to throw himself under a train. But I'm not…' The blood still ran cold in her veins at the thought. He wouldn't do that, would he? 'There has to be another option, somewhere else he would be going this early.' Then it came to her. Hunter had been arrested in Manhattan the day before. Her limited knowledge of the legal system told her that he would be charged that day, in court. Could it be that Sam had decided to head off there, to see Hunter? That was almost a given in the circumstances. And worse, he was in a frame of mind which might make him do something stupid.

So it was that she found herself shaking Rachel awake, much to the shock of that young lady in question. "It's Trouty. He's gone, and I'm pretty certain of where. The court. To see Hunter charged. And you and I both know…"

"He'll probably end up saying or doing something that will get him into trouble. I'll get dressed, and we will go and try to stop him"

Santana was glad that Rachel had so quickly grasped the situation. "Right, see you in five minutes - and bring your emergency credit card, just in case we have to bail Sam out…." Back in her room, she toyed with the idea of waking Brittany, but decided against it. She would potentially be as much of a liability in the court as Sam. She might start screaming that Hunter had killed her dolphins, or decide to report Lord Tubbington for drug dealing. No, it was better to let her sleep.

Instead, she woke up Artie and told him what was going on. She asked him to stay and keep an eye on Brittany for her. If she asked, he was to tell her that she and Rachel had gone to work, or NYADA - anywhere but the court. He agreed reluctantly to stay, a part of him also wanting to stare Hunter down in court. In any case, he had the idea that some of the others might return. Then Rachel was ready, grabbing some bottles of juice from the fridge and some cereal bars for their breakfast. She was less made up than usual, but today her appearance took second place to Sam. He needed their support, whether he was prepared to admit it or not. Left alone in that court, facing the man that had killed two of his friends and driven his best friend to suicide, there was no telling what he might do. To be honest, neither Rachel or Santana relished the prospect of being in the same room as Hunter. As they stood next to each other on the packed L train, neither of them would admit it.

_The song that Sam and Artie sing is Fire and Rain, just as they did for Finn..._


	4. 100 Centre Street

**100 Centre Street**

The New York Criminal Court complex dominated the area of downtown Manhattan in which it was situated. It rose, tall and imposing, above most of the other buildings around it. For most of the day, its network of rooms and corridors were a hive of activity, but it was now, first thing in the morning, that it really buzzed. This was when the first of the arraignments of the day took place. The accused, their legal representation and their families made up the bulk of those there, the majority of the remainder being the judicial staff. Then there were the people in the public galleries, those with a close connection to a case and those who just wanted to pretend that they were on an episode of _Judge Judy_. That morning, near the front of the queue stood Sam Evans, a determined look on his face. He was going to go in there and let everyone know just how guilty Hunter was.

By the time that Santana and Rachel arrived at the court, after a cramped and tiring journey on first the L, and then the 6 train, Sam was nowhere to be seen - the days roster of arraignments having already begun. The process of finding out exactly which courtroom Hunter would be appearing in was frustrating, and in the end, Rachel had to step up and ask the questions of the desk clerk, before Santana ended up going 'Lima Heights' on him. The breakthrough came when Rachel finally admitted that they were trying to support their friend, whom they had reason to believe might end up causing a disturbance in the court as a result of his mental anguish. A quick description of Sam to the clerk (Rachel frowning at Santana's brief 'Blond with a Trouty mouth' statement) sent them to the correct place, but only just in time. The Court Clerk was just calling out the case as they spotted Sam, and quickly slid along the rows to sit on either side of him.

The appearance of the two girls startled Sam. He wasn't sure if he was happy that they were there or not. As the time had gone by since he had been amongst the first to enter, his mind had shut off slightly, ignoring what was going on around him as the other names were called, and those being charged were trotted out. He was waiting for that one name to be called; when it finally was, he felt full of fire. As Hunter was lead out in front of the judge, he wanted to leap from the public benches and punch him, to keep doing so until he was stopped. 'Who would that help?' a voice in his head said, sounding surprisingly like Finn. 'How do you organise a funeral from a jail cell?' So in the balance, it was a good thing they had arrived. They would help him to stay calm, just as long as they did too…

All three had bristled as Hunter Clarington was brought out in front of the judge, and placed in the dock. His face retained so much of its cocky smugness. Both Santana and Sam had to fight the urge to go down and wipe the smirk off his face. The charges were then read out :-

_Murder in the First Degree of Finn Hudson_  
_Murder in the First Degree of Kurt Elizabeth Hummel_  
_Attempted Murder in the First Degree of Blaine Devon Anderson_

That last charge made Sam's blood boil. Attempted? Blaine was dead. He had killed him as much as he had killed Finn and Kurt. He opened his mouth to shout, but found Santana's hand swiftly placed over it. He went to jump up, but found two strong hands on his shoulders, holding him down in his seat. Rachel spun round to see a familiar face in the row behind - Wes.

Time had frozen for Wes Montgomery the moment that he had received that phone call from Santana; had then added her and Will Schuester into the group chat he had been having with his fellow Warblers. Ironically, they had been debating once again how they could bring their old soloist back into the land of the living; out of the darkness of grief and despair. To be told that it was too late by Sam had broken their hearts, and none had been more affected than Wes. He had seen Blaine at low points before - he still remembered the frightened little boy he had befriended in his senior year; how he had gone on to win that boy's trust and respect. That boy was gone. To his eternal shame, it had been a Warbler that had caused the circumstances that had lead to… he didn't even want to think about it - the violence and brutality of Blaine's death. So soon after Kurt. All he knew was that he wanted to do everything in his power to obtain justice for his friends.

It was for that reason that Wes had decided to cut short his time on Skype that evening, to the surprise of his fellow Warblers. They had all made the assumption that he was too distraught to carry on talking - they all knew how fond he had been of Kurt and Blaine. In fact, he had made a snap decision. He was now in his third year at Harvard Law School. He knew more than enough about the legal system to know that if Hunter had been arrested in Manhattan that day, he would be arraigned in court in New York, tomorrow. He needed to be there, to witness it for himself. That was why he had switched off Skype, hastily stuffed a few items into a bag, and dashed for the red line train to central Boston. That was why he had sat up, reading from his law textbooks, on the 21.35 Amtrak service towards New York. Why he had found himself doing the same in an all night diner near Penn station just after 3am, drinking cup after cup of strong coffee to keep himself awake until the time came when he could legitimately go and stand outside the court in Centre Street.

He had already been sitting in the public gallery when Sam had arrived - his eyes still red rimmed, a look of such pain and exhaustion on his face. He had thought of calling out to him, to invite him to sit next to him, but somehow he felt that by doing so, he would be intruding into Sam's personal grief; his mourning process. So he had instead moved quietly to sit behind him - close by if he needed someone, far enough away to give him his privacy. When the door had opened to allow a dishevelled Rachel and Santana to enter, just as it had been getting near to the name Clarington on the list, Wes had felt even more sure that he had done the right thing in leaving Sam alone. However, when Sam had made to jump up just as the last charge had been read, he knew that he had to intervene - even though in his heart, he felt exactly the same way that Sam did.

Instinct made Wes place his hands on Sam's shoulders - he knew exactly the right amount of pressure to apply from years of restraining Warblers when tempers had frayed in rehearsal. He felt Rachel's eyes upon him - looking up, he could see the gratitude in her eyes. Thankful that he had been there to avoid an upset which could have cost Sam either a fine or his freedom. And then Hunter was gone, lead away into custody until such time that a trial date came forward - that would be in the new year. Wes felt able to release the pressure on Sam's shoulders, before bending down towards Rachel and whispering "Let's get out of here. We have seen what we need to and Sam does not look too good…" With Santana's help, Rachel helped Sam up from his seat, and began to walk him out of the courtroom, followed closely by Wes.

Once in the hallway they guided Sam to a bench; when he was finally sitting down, he burst into tears, as Rachel and Santana stood by distraught. Wes sat down by him, placing an arm around his shoulders, blinking back his own tears. Sam turned to look at him. "It is not fair Wes - he killed Blaine just as much as Finn and Kurt. He might not have fired that gun, but he started it. He drove him to it. It's not right. Not justice. So wrong and unfair."

"I know Sam, but their hands are tied. He wasn't at the cemetery. He tried to kill him that night, and failed. That's all that matters. It's wrong, I agree. But we just have to accept it."

"I can't and neither can you in your heart. He killed him; he robbed us of Blaine, the best friend I have ever had. Poor Cooper has lost the only family he has ever valued. The system stinks, Wes. It's just so wrong…." said Sam, before bursting into tears again.

As Rachel and Santana watched, also in tears, Wes took the blond boy in his arms, and held him to his chest, just as over the years he had had on occasion to hold virtually every one of the Warblers. In those times, he had been able to find the words to comfort Blaine, Kurt, Nick, Jeff, David, Thad, Trent… the list went on. Now he had no words that could comfort - his own heart felt so empty, so hollow. Instead, he wordlessly let the younger man sob, his own tears now rolling unchecked down his cheeks. Suddenly, words came to him. "It isn't fair…but we have to accept it and not let it eat away at us. We have to make sure that he is convicted for what he did to Finn and Kurt, then we will get the justice that all three of them deserve." 'And by whatever means,' thought Wes. 'I will be here. For every single day of the trial. I owe that much to my friends.'

It was still fairly early and after Sam had calmed down enough to be able to move, Wes was invited to accompany them back to Bushwick. He agreed, on the condition that they let him pay for a cab to take them there, as he had to return to Harvard that day to take care of a few things before he headed to Lima for the funeral preparations. Rachel acquired a cab in a forthright way, and in no time they were back at the loft. They arrived to discover that as Artie had surmised, a number of their other friends had returned. Mercedes was in the process of making pancakes, and so it was that the returnees from the court sat down to eat the first batch. Sugar had appeared with a box of croissants and bagels, which were also shared out. Shortly afterwards, Mike and Tina had appeared, together. In ordinary circumstances, someone would have noticed that they appeared to be joined at the hip again…

Wes had been welcomed by all of them with affection. The fact that he had travelled all the way from Harvard overnight just to be there in the court that morning impressed them. They all were in agreement with Sam that the charges were not right. That there had been three murders was obvious. Wes had to explain the reasoning behind the charges as the only law student in the room. It didn't help, but in a quiet moment, Artie had to admit that he did see why the charges had to be the way they were.

Then Wes had to leave for the next stage of his epic travels - a cab back to Penn station to catch the train back to Boston; the metro back to Harvard to hand in some work and speak to his tutor; then an overnight drive back to Lima, all fuelled by an excessive amount of espresso coffee. Rachel insisted that he took some sandwiches with him to ensure that he ate. Then he was gone, on his way back to college. The others sat around for a while, enjoying the company of their friends, none of them looking forward to the journey back to Lima that they all would have to make. Sam had packed a bag to take back, and unobserved, had made his way through the privacy curtains into Kurt and Blaine's space to box up Blaine's bowties. He had plans for them. When the time came when he had to leave for JFK to meet Rory, he found himself in the company of Santana, Brittany and Sugar. The others had to face up to packing for their return home.


	5. The wisdom of Brittany S Pierce

_A shorter update than the last.. I will try and update this story three times a week, but that will depend on how much I can get typed up from hard copy and on my speed at finishing it! Don't want to end up leaving you all hanging._

**The wisdom of Brittany S. Pierce**

When she had woken up that morning to find Santana gone, Brittany had felt more alone than she had in a long time. She had to admit that she was so very tired, even though she had slept most of the night. Her sleep had not been as sound as she liked. Santana had been so restless beside her. She had been careful not to wake her up, but she could sense the troubles in her girlfriend's head. If she was really honest, she was in a lot of pain herself. She was hopeful that she would see Blaine, just as she had seen Kurt, at his funeral. That they would be standing there, together, arm in arm, both of them with a pair of wings. But what if they weren't together? There was just a small doubt in the back of her mind, an echo of something from childhood. What if, because of the fact that Blaine had killed himself, he was not allowed to be with Kurt in heaven? What if he was stuck instead in some sort of limbo, alone, miserable and frightened? If that was the case, how would she cope if there was a tearful lonely Kurt stood there at Blaine's funeral? She wished, not for the first time, that the others could see what she could.

The first time she saw a ghost was just after her sixth birthday. Her great grandmother had died. She had met the lady more than once - she lived after all just a few streets away from her family home. Her father had been so sad to lose his grandmother and she could understand why. On the day of the funeral, she had caught sight of the lady in question, standing at the back of the dark church, next to a man she had never seen before. She had been smiling, in much the same way that she did when Brittany came into the room. She had always been called a ray of pure sunshine by her. She saw her again back at her house, at the post funeral gathering. She had been sitting in her usual chair, which everyone was avoiding sitting in. Brittany had sat in her usual place too then, on the floor next to her. She had been startled when she had spoken to her. Her grandmother had told her that she had inherited something rare, a gift that she herself had had - the ability to see angels. She had cautioned her from sharing that fact with her parents; told her that she should only ever tell her most trusted friends, or she could find herself in a lot of trouble.

Over the next few years, throughout her schooling, her great grandmother's ghost would turn up every so often, to give her advice. She had told her to follow her heart with Santana - had been there to console her when they had drifted apart. She had also been the one to introduce her to Lord Tubbington. He was not her cat, of course. He was the ghost of an English gentleman, who had been murdered in an opium den in Victorian London. His father had been the brother of her great great great grandmother. He was remarkably perceptive and quite in tune with modern life for someone who had died nearly 150 years earlier. He was a constant presence in her life, and that was why she had decided to name her cat after him. It made things easier when she felt the need to talk to him during the day. She knew that people thought she was strange because she treated the cat as if it were a person, but she did not care. Her great grandmother had long ago advised her that it was only what those closest to you felt that mattered. Santana didn't seem to care, so it didn't matter. Her only hope was that one day, she could make Santana see too. It wasn't impossible - at least according to Lord Tubbington. As long as the other person wanted to believe, then they could be given the chance to see, in the right circumstances. Hopefully, Santana would want to see Kurt and Blaine again enough that she would be given the chance.

The journey from Bushwick to JFK took place in near silence. Brittany sat curled up in Santana's arms; Sugar barely spoke either, which was completely out of character. For his part, Sam just sat and stared out of the train window - firstly on the L train as it made its way to Broadway Junction, then again as they continued their journey on the A train. Sam felt as is he was on his way to his own funeral. His life as he had known it was officially over - there would be no more nights of sitting quietly as Blaine read Star Wars fan fiction to him, followed by their usual lively discussion that made Kurt roll his eyes. He doubted if anyone else would allow him to blow on a kazoo. The fact was that no-one really got him as well as Blaine had - he had seemed to truly understand the complex world of Sam Evans. Now he was faced with the prospect of having to deal with Cooper, the long estranged brother of his best friend, the only person that had stuck it out through all of Blaine's anger. He had failed there and had run away at the first sign of trouble. He knew at the time that Blaine was just lashing out at him, but he still ran. His final moments in the company of his friend had been filled with fear and loathing. He would wish until the day he died that when Blaine had retreated after his own outburst, he had followed him back to his room. Even though he had been forgiven, he would never be able to forget what he had done.

Then he was at the airport, sitting with Brittany in the arrivals hall, Santana and Sugar having gone to check the screens for details of the Aer Lingus flight from Dublin. She turned to look at him, with a fond smile, then took his hand and whispered, "You miss your dolphin, don't you Sam? It frightens you just how much, which doesn't help. We all know that you didn't just like him, you loved him, more even than should love a brother. I think that the word to describe it is bromance, isn't it? If you had been made differently, then it could quite easily have been you that was marrying Blaine. Though that would have made Kurt unhappy…. But you loved him that much, and it hurts every time that you think about how he died. What you have to remember, what we all have to remember, is that he died knowing that he had saved you - that would have been all that mattered to him." Sam sat silently, just staring at Brittany. Once again, she had proved herself to be so wise. Blinking back a tear, all he could do was nod in agreement, and allow himself to be pulled in to a sympathetic hug.


	6. The often bad luck of the Irish

**The often bad luck of the Irish**

As his plane began to make its final approaches towards New York, Rory Flanagan sat in silence. Throughout the journey he had not felt like talking and he had been fortunate to have an empty seat next to him. He was exhausted if he was honest. Since the moment that his phone had rung, just before midnight in Ireland, his old life had stopped. He had barely got over the shock of finding out that Kurt had been murdered. He was one of the sweetest, kindest people he had ever met. His relationship with Blaine had enchanted and inspired him. He could only imagine what his death had done to him at the time. Now, he knew. It had driven him to distraction, destroying his character in the process. Finding out that he had been partially to blame would have been the straw that broke the camel's back. His choice of method in his death was still enough to shake Rory to his core.

He was so tired, but he could not consider sleep, even though he realised that he had now been awake for over 36 hours. Yesterday had started much the same as ever - out of bed after too little sleep to head into the office next to Dublin Castle were he worked. He was there long before anyone else, to work on yet another speech for his politician boss. It would doubtless get him the usual plaudits - no credit for the young man who had written it though - there never were. Then as the rest of the office headed home, Rory was tuned into that day's proceedings in Washington DC. If he was lucky he would be able to leave around 11pm, to dash for the last bus home. He'd missed it before and had faced a long walk home - a taxi was out of the question on his wage packet. That night, he had thought that his luck was in, but just as he was heading out of the office…

Hearing Sugar's tearful voice had hit a nerve. He sensed at once that something was very wrong. Then the news was broken as he made his way towards the exit. Somehow, despite the shock, he kept moving, past the night security guard, towards the bus stop. He was numb, no other words for it. Someone was telling Sugar that they were on their way - that this time nothing and no-one was going to stop them coming. It was only when she had hung up that he realised what he had agreed to - he had told her that he was on his way to New York. Sensible, well behaved, subservient to the wishes of his family and his employer Rory would never do something like that. And yet, he knew that was exactly what he was about to do.

He had time to dash back to the office, where he threw his I.D. pass on to the front desk, to the surprise of the guard and one of the cleaners. "I'm off to New York - tell them that I quit," he shouted, before running back out of the door. He barely heard the cry of "Good for you, son" from the security guard as he did so. Then he was on the bus, willing it to move faster on its way through the north Dublin suburbs, and the small studio flat that Rory currently called home. 'Not anymore,' he thought. 'I have no intention of ever coming back here.' Once inside, he found his suitcases and began to pack - then realised he should probably find a flight first. Booting up his laptop, he went straight onto the Aer Lingus website. Luck was on his side - there were several seats still available on the flight just after 10am. He booked one on the emergency credit card that his parents had given him with strict instructions that it was only to be used in life or death situations. They would never forgive him for using it to book a flight to America, but he didn't care. Job done, he went back to his packing.

He left a lot behind - clothes that his mother had bought and approved of that Kurt would have probably have doused in petrol and set fire to, he thought with a wry smile. Then there were the ugly gifts from elderly relatives. One of his work suits did make the cut - an expensive black one that his nana had insisted he buy, at her expense, because he needed to look the part. All the other clothes packed were casual. He left behind the bulk of his socks and underwear, because they were cheap and easy to replace. Most of his books had to remain on the shelves too - he did regret that, but if he found somewhere to stay quickly, then he could ask his landlady to pack them up and post them to him. She liked him - it didn't matter to her that he was, as his mother succinctly put it, different. The photo album was another story - that went into his laptop bag. Then, after grabbing a quick sandwich and a cup of tea, he was off again, pushing his key, with a note, through his landlady's door. This time, the taxi was essential - there was no bus to the airport at just after 3am.

He was far too early, but that did not matter. He had a difficult letter to write - an explanation of his behaviour to his mother. He wrote that as he sat in a nearly empty departures hall. Just him and a few other stragglers, the cleaners working around them. He sent a text to Sugar to tell her what flight he would be on - she replied that she had passed the details on to Sam; and that everyone was looking forward to seeing him, albeit in the saddest of circumstances. It was that statement that made him take the photo album out of his bag. To look at his photos from his year at McKinley High; to remind himself of the good times. The photo of them all on the night that they had won Nationals, with three happy faces staring back at him that he wouldn't be seeing again. Then he saw another picture, taken if he recalled rightly by Brittany. Of him sitting with Kurt behind him on one side, Blaine on the other. She had said at the time that it was him with his two dads from the future. She'd got that one wrong…

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, sobbing his heart out, before he realised that she had sat down next to him. Had placed a sympathetic hand on his back. "Are you alright, son? I didn't want to disturb you, but the longer you were crying, the more I felt that it was my duty to see that you were fine." Rory looked up, to see an elderly nun next to him. It had been a very long time since he had been to church - yet another cause of his mother's disapproval. He had lost most of the simple faith that he had had as a child. Yet, he saw the kind expression on her face; the look of concern. Before he knew it, he was opening up to her on everything.

"I'm far from alright if I am honest, Sister. A lot of things that have been building in my life have come to a head tonight. It all began a fortnight ago. I had been invited to a wedding in New York, but at the very last minute my boss cancelled my leave as he needed me to write him a speech. I should have told him, no, I am going, but I didn't have the courage. On the day of the wedding….one of my other friends called me to tell me that there had been an incident and that Kurt - he's the guy on the left of me in this picture - had been murdered. And his fiancé was seriously injured in hospital."

"Is that the young man on the right? They look so happy there. I'm not supposed to approve of 'Gay Marriage' but then I've always had a bit of a rebellious streak.."

Rory smiled at that. "Yeah, that's Blaine. They were so good to me when I was in the States… Anyway, I was informed of the funeral date and so I asked for the time off. Once again, I was told no - that I was needed…"

"Last night, just after 11pm, I was finally leaving work when I got another call from the States. To tell me that Blaine had killed himself - worse still, it was someone that was known to him that had murdered Kurt, and his stepbrother some months earlier. Everyone had thought that he had died in an accident… I was moving on autopilot, to head home. I imagined that I would be told no yet again if I asked for time off… and suddenly something in me snapped. I went back to work, handed in my staff I.D. and told the night security guard and a cleaner that I was quitting. Went home and packed the most important parts of my life in these bags. Wrote my parents a letter to tell them I was off. I have my ESTA already, so there was nothing to stop me just going. There's a voice inside me screaming 'What are you doing, Rory? You have chucked away a good job, a future, and for what?' It sounds a lot like my mother if I'm honest…"

"But the way you see it," the nun interjected, "is that you need to be there with your other friends. You have to show how much you care about those two boys, because they made you happy. Helped you come to terms with your own identity… I'm presuming a lot there, but I think I'm right?" Rory nodded. "That is something which I'm guessing your parents are not comfortable with. My advice my boy is that you have to do what is right for you. If you live your life for others, then you will end up miserable. If you don't agree with an opinion, then you should respect it - I find myself doing that a lot with the stuff that I hear from Rome. I'm not supposed to approve of what your friends wanted - but I do. As it happens, I am on my way now to my great nephew's wedding - though I believe that they officially term it a civil partnership in London…"

Rory sat there, stunned. He had always had the view, brought on by his childhood experiences, that nuns were strict, and adhered to the views of the Vatican. 'Guess that you can't judge by appearances,' he thought. "You're right Sister. I have been miserable and quite honestly, lonely, for a long time. Since I came back from Ohio if I'm honest. I've had a slave driving miser for a boss, been kicked out of my parent's house because I am gay, and I'm just so fed up of it. I know that I will probably have to come home at some point, but just now, I need to be with my friends, the people that care for me. I miss being Brittany's leprechaun, the jokes about my accent; I want to be there to comfort Sam - he is Blaine's best friend and I know that he will be devastated. To be honest, I'm devastated, and having all that love around me…"

"Will be more of a comfort that just trying to carry on. I think that this decision has come about because you kept being denied what you needed. The chance to mourn. And who knows, maybe you will meet someone there that will make you happy in other ways.." Rory couldn't help himself - he burst out laughing. He was beginning to think that he was imagining this. Not only had he met by chance the most gay friendly nun in Ireland, but she was hinting to him that he might meet a man in New York. He turned to see her smiling back at him. "Feeling better I see, young man. My work here then is done, and I have a flight to check in for. I shall pray for your happiness and the souls of your friends - Kurt, Blaine and…"

"Finn. That was Kurt's stepbrother. I don't think that Kurt and Blaine believed in the whole God thing, but I appreciate the thought Sister. And, God bless you."

With that, she departed with her small bag towards the check in desks. Rory checked his watch and realised that it was also time for him to go over to the desk. He did so with the conviction that what he was doing was right. He had to get away from his current life, which was a depressing mess, and back to the place where he had felt happiest. Maybe it wouldn't be the same - how could it be when three important people were absent. Maybe it would be better not to think about that until he had to. Maybe he should concentrate instead on what he had just been told - and the possibility that he might meet a man. Now that was interesting. 'I wonder if that stout Warbler is going to be around,' he thought. 'He looked nice. I think his name was Trent…'


	7. Artie considers the future

**Artie considers the future**

The moment that Rory emerged from the arrivals hall was emotional, as such meetings often are. Sugar was the first to run over and pull him into a hug - not surprising, as she had been the one he had spoken to most over the past year. Of all his former glee team mates, she was the only one that knew that he was officially declaring himself to be gay. She had been disappointed of course, as she really had liked him, but she really liked Joe too, so it was ok. Once she had released Rory, he found himself confronted by Brittany and Santana. The latter surprised him when she pulled him into a tight hug; her words "Nice to have you back, Irish." a lot less caustic than he had been expecting. Brittany was her usual self, pleased as ever to see him. It might have been his imagination, but when she hugged him, he was sure that she whispered the word "Dolphin" in his ear… And then there was Sam, looking so downcast, so unlike the guy that he remembered, obviously heartbroken at the news. "I'm so sorry, Sam," was all he could think of saying as he pulled him into a hug, which was quickly reciprocated. A tight, almost bone crushing hug. Then it was time to hurry through the airport to another gate, to board a flight to Columbus. With a quick parting wave to the girls, Sam and Rory went to board their flight to Ohio - back to a world now filled with grief.

Back at Bushwick, the loft was still busy. Rachel had left to go to the diner, to work her shift and explain to the boss that she would be away for a few days, along with Santana. She knew that they would be given the time off no questions asked. He would be as devastated as the rest of them to hear that Blaine was gone. He often talked about the day he had played a Billy Joel song and had brought the entire diner to a standstill. He had even asked her if Blaine was looking for a job. Now, she had to tell him that her broken friend was dead.

In normal circumstances, guests leave when their host goes out. No-one had felt the need to, nor had Rachel even asked. Santana and Brittany would be back soon enough, and they were all just happy to be together. Artie sat and observed all that was going on around him. Joe had arrived just as Rachel left, and after initially enquiring were Sugar was, he was now deep in conversation with Mercedes. From the odd word that he could overhear, they were talking about the religious aspect of Blaine's funeral - it had to be there after all, and they were definitely the best people to deal with that side of the day. Tina seemed to be holding it together well - far too well for Artie's liking. Everyone knew about her major crush on Blaine, and yet she wasn't reacting. He could tell by the way he was acting around her that Mike was equally concerned for his former girlfriend. 'Maybe not former for much longer,' thought Artie. 'Those looks he keeps giving her are full of love. It's not a bad thing either - it might stop her crushing on gay men all the time if she gets back together with Mike.'

For his own part, Artie was quite happy to sit on his own and quietly observe all that was going on around him. His heart still felt so heavy from the events of the last two weeks. If someone had told him that he would have to live through the murder of one of his oldest friends - because he and Kurt had been united prior to the advent of the Glee club by their outsider status at McKinley - and then the suicide of another, his very being destroyed by the heartache brought about by the death of their soulmate, he would have laughed at them and asked what serial drama they thought he lived in. It did sound like the plot of a hopelessly melodramatic movie. He would channel all of his feelings, all of the pain into the making of a documentary film someday, when everything was less raw. An examination of how someone could become so obsessed with triumph in the world of show choir that they would resort to first taking illegal drugs and then when caught, move on to cold blooded murder. That could be his major film school project - worked out now, and completed after the eventual trial.

Firstly though, he would place himself at the disposal of his friends in creating the funeral that Blaine wanted. He could understand why he wanted it to be like that. Kurt's funeral had left him feeling exceptionally sad - there had been little comfort for any of them at that. He could remember sitting there at the front, with Blaine by his side, and feeling so utterly helpless and lost. All he could do was hold Blaine's hand and try to push some warmth and empathy through his touch. It was all he had tried to do only days before when he had gone to visit Blaine in the hospital. Try to make his friend feel better, when he knew in his heart that there was nothing he could do to achieve that. Whether it had worked or not, he wasn't sure, but he had managed to escape the wrath of Blaine in the past week. He could only imagine the torment that his friend had gone through in the last days of his life. He hoped that he would never have to experience that level of pain for himself. He wasn't a coward by any means, but that degree of heartache was just too much to bear.

It was time, he realised, to take stock of his own life. To go back over everything and decide if the decisions he had taken were the right ones. He had to admit that he missed Kitty, and the way he had left things with her wasn't right or fair to either of them. He had broken things off with her because he had seen the long distance relationships of his older friends fail. There was no guarantee that theirs would have done. She had done so much for him, given up a lot and worked so hard to get him where he was now. Since he had graduated, he hadn't exactly been kind to her - in fact he had been down right cruel at times. He had thought that he might enjoy being a player at film school instead of being the guy with the high school girlfriend back in Ohio. Well, that was rubbish. He still wanted to be with Kitty Wilde. He was going to beg her for forgiveness and do whatever was necessary to win her back. If that meant a long distance relationship, then so be it. He would see her face to face tomorrow, and although it was hardly the place or the time to do it, he was going to ask - no, beg her to find it in her heart - there was one in there - to forgive him and take him back. He loved her so much. It wasn't until now that he had really realised that.

The hardest thing for all of them in the next few days would be avoiding breaking down altogether, Artie realised. There would be a devastated Cooper to deal with; and although they wouldn't show it, Burt and Carole would be just as upset. He knew that Blaine had regarded them as his parents and they had seen him, in return, as their third son. He had witnessed for himself over Skype the tears that Mr Schue had cried - and he had seen the dampness even in Sue Sylvester's otherwise steely glare. If their elders were nearly falling apart… Sam he knew was just moments away from cracking again, as he had apparently done in Emma's arms the night before. At least this time there would not be an open coffin to stare into, because he guessed that a bullet… 'No, Artie, we are not going to go there,' he said to himself. Even thinking about it made him shiver. It had to have taken a heck of a lot of guts to do it. Bravery. Courage. And although Blaine would never have admitted it, a degree of faith. He had known where he was going for all of his professed atheism. He just hoped that he had been right.

"Planet Earth to Artie. Come in Artie," said a voice, interrupting his train of thought. "You ok? You seemed pretty out of it there," continued Santana. "I've been asking you if you wanted something to eat for a couple of minutes now."

"Yeah…I was just thinking about his courage. I know that I could never even think about… He must have been pretty sure of where he was heading."

"To his boy. The love of his life. Away from all the heartache and pain. If that's what he thought, then good for him. I'd like to believe that it is right. I know that Brittany is certain that her two unicorns are back together. I hope that they are, I really do, but…there is just a small part of me that is saying, nope. Not true. I'm going to try and ignore that, and around Brittany, I think we all should."

"I agree. She is surprising me though." Santana looked at him curiously. "If you had asked me how Brittany would react to the death of someone she was so close to, like Kurt or Blaine, I would have expected sobbing, a broken heart and a smile free face. And that is not what we got. We got a wise, mature reaction."

Santana had to agree - Brittany was not behaving as she had feared. In fact, she was the calmest and most accepting of them all. Would it last however? That was the big question. No doubt at the funeral she would see Blaine's angel, just as she had seen Kurt's at his. She longed to believe that she had, and that sudden gust of wind on the otherwise still day, seconds after she said that Kurt had flapped his wings… It was a nice idea, and a large part of her wished that she could see Blaine's angel. Because his death was affecting her so much more than she would have expected, darn it. He was a good friend, but they hadn't been especially close. To him, she had been Satan, and to her, he had always been Kurt's hobbit. So why was it, now that he was gone, it felt as if a part of her had died too? That was something that she could not explain or even come to understand. Maybe in time she would, but just now, she had to concentrate on getting through the next few days, for everyone's sakes.


	8. February 10th 2014: Opening Procedures

**February 10****th**** 2014; Opening Procedures**

It was a not untypical Monday in early February in New York. It had been snowing on and off for the past two days, blanketing much of the ground with a pristine white. The mercury hovered around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, cold enough to form icicles where water had been tripping the night before. In an old building in Bushwick, the residents of two loft apartments were awake and making ready to leave home. The day that they had all been awaiting with a mix of anticipation and apprehension had finally arrived. Hunter Clarington was about to go on trial.

There were far more people staying in the two apartments than normal. In the larger of the two, Santana had moved in temporarily with Brittany (a likely story, Burt had said when Carole had told him) so that Trent and Rory could be accommodated. The guest room was of course being occupied by Burt and Carole. A foldaway bed had been set up in the study in preparation for the days that Puck would be required in court - the Air Force would only give him the time off that he was actually needed. In all likelihood, Sam would be sleeping in the study, as Quinn was planning to be there too when Puck was in town. Across the landing, where walls had been built to replace the previous privacy curtains, Nick and Jeff had also acquired an additional bed, placing it next to the window in what had been Rachel's room, the larger of the two. This bed was occupied by Wes, albeit he was sharing with their permanent roommate, Sebastian.

The latter situation had been surprising to some, but to the young men concerned, it made perfect sense. Sebastian was going to be attending NYADA after the summer and needed somewhere to live - Nick and Jeff needed someone to help out with the rent payments - Blaine had been generous in his will, but day to day expenses soon mounted up. Events at Dalton in their Senior year had bonded the three boys, along with Trent, in a way that no-one else really appreciated. They understood each other and could tolerate the foibles that marked their distinctive characters.

They would all be heading to court together that day, but once there, they would be splitting up in to two groups. Sam, Rachel, Santana, Trent and Sebastian had all known that they would be called as witnesses for the prosecution, long before the official letters had arrived at the start of January - as such, they would not be allowed to sit in the main courtroom until they had given their evidence. To everyone's shock and disbelief, another member of their group had been summoned to give evidence for the defence. Their letter had arrived the day after the others…

It had not been expected at all. After the witness letters had arrived for their friends the day before, they had breathed a sigh of relief. The prospect of standing up in a court and baring their soul about the events of the past had not been one they had relished. So when the knock on the door had come, and they had been presented with the summons, they had been upset. On opening it to find that they had been called to give evidence for Hunter, they had collapsed in shock. Nick had found Jeff slumped to the floor by the door, sobbing his heart out. Once he had read the letter, he had joined him. So it was that Jeff would also be making his way to the witness room, still absolutely distraught that he was being forced to give evidence in support of Hunter.

If there had been any way to escape doing so he would have taken it - he and Nick had even considered just taking off to somewhere in South America with no extradition treaty. In the end, Wes had sat him down and pointed out that as much as hated it, he had no choice, unless he wanted to be charged himself. Anyway, just because he had been called to give defence evidence, it did not mean that he had to say everything in Hunter's favour. Finally, they would be joined in the room by Burt and Cooper, both called to give evidence as to how the deaths of Finn and Kurt had affected everyone else, and in particular, Blaine. They left that morning with a variety of articles to keep them occupied as they awaited their turn to give evidence - along with the usual books and magazines, Rachel had several copies of the script for _Funny Girl_, Trent had his laptop and some coursework, and Jeff had his sketch pad and a box of pencils. They had done this to ensure that the time they had to wait for their turn would not stretch out and leave them bored from a lack of occupation.

That left to head into the main courtroom from Bushwick Carole - Burt had asked the defence lawyer not to call her to give evidence in regard to Finn, as she was still suffering from moments of grief in which her anger got the better of her. She was accompanied by Rory, Brittany, Wes and Nick. The latter would only be there for parts of the day that week - he had obtained a part time job at the Law library at Columbia, as a good preparation for his course there after the summer, and although they had been understanding enough, they could not give him unlimited time off, at least for the first week of the trial. Rory too might have to pop out from time to time, as Burt's congressional business still had to be dealt with. Brittany had no classes to attend, although she would also been going to college after the summer. She would however, still have to leave at times as she had agreed to help cover Rachel, Sam and Santana's shifts at the diner whilst they were tied up with the trial. Wes, however, would be a fixture in the public gallery. He had pledged to himself that he would be there everyday on the day of Hunter's arraignment. After a long and at times heated talk with his college tutor at Harvard, he had been allowed to attend the trial as part of his law degree - he had been enrolled as a temporary student at NYU. The other price he had to pay was that he would have to spend most of the summer writing a lengthy thesis on the workings of the New York court system. To him, that was a small price to pay to be able to support his friends.

On arriving at the court they found, just inside the doors, some more friends eager to show their support, sitting with Cooper, who had arrived alone from his apartment in Murray Hill. Mercedes was taking time away from the recording studio - as she had said to her boss at the label, she would not have been able to concentrate on her work anyway. She was sat next to Artie, who had taken the day off school to attend. He had in his turn spotted someone else in the milling crowds; had been so shocked that he had had to ask Mercedes to confirm what he saw. There was no doubt about it though - Dave Karofsky was also there. He had just wanted to sit quietly in a corner, but once spotted, he had been told that he had to join them. He had then revealed that he had been on the same flight from Ohio as the Lima based reporter that was covering the story for the local media. The identity of the person had shocked him. It was not one of the big name local reporters; it was not even Sue Sylvester, though they were all certain that she would turn up at some point during the proceedings, as the recent editions of 'Sue's Corner' had been dominated by criticism of the namby bamby liberalism of the law in some states. No, WOHN had sent the intern to sit on the press bench. Someone that was best known for his blogging activities. None other than Jewfro himself - Jacob Ben Israel. The news had left both Artie and Mercedes in a state of shock.

There was equal indignation from everyone else, with a few exceptions, when they were informed. Burt and Carole felt betrayed that the deaths of the three boys had only gained the attention of an intern. Wes, Nick, Jeff and Trent just looked confused, and it fell to Sebastian to fill them in on exactly who he was, and why he was so despised by the New Directions. As Santana grumbled about it, another voice suddenly said "Give him a break, guys. He might not have been the best when we were at McKinley, but his blog was always very professionally turned out, if scurrilous." As one, they all turned to see Kurt standing there, with Finn and Blaine at his side.

"It could be worse. They did send someone," said Artie.

"And from what I've seen in checking back," said Blaine, "his stuff has so far been very professionally put together - far above the usual level of WOHN-TV. Nearer to the standards of CNN. The only thing that beats it is Sue's Corner…"

Without turning round, Santana said "Hello, Coach Sylvester. Thought you'd be here."

"It's Principal Sylvester these days…and yes, I wasn't going to miss my first chance to stare down that slimeball Clarington. McKinley can run itself for a few days. Bieste and Schuester won't burn the place down. In addition, I need to keep an eye on J.B.I.; make sure that he focuses on covering the crime and not bringing up past events concerning you three." She pointed at that point at the three angels - admittedly, it look to the casual passer-by that she was pointing at thin air. "Looking good by the way - death seems to suit you." Wes felt his mouth drop open at that remark. He could see why everyone, even Burt, was just a little bit afraid of her. She was teetering on the border of unhinged…

Then came the moment when their ways had to part. The court clerk was calling for the witnesses in the Clarington case to sign in and follow him to the witness room. At this point, Sue charged off in the direction of the press room, scattering lawyers and clerks in the process, grabbing Jacob as she passed and pulling him behind her. Amongst the friends, hugs were exchanged, and words of love and encouragement were offered. Those that were heading to the witness room did so, having confirmed their attendance with the clerk - the others made their way to the public gallery, to take up the best seats, where they could see straight into the dock. Where they could make eye contact with Hunter. Let him know that they were there. And were angry - so very angry. They knew that he would only appear briefly that day as the charges were read out, the technical points discussed, and the jury selected and sworn in after any points of contention were dealt with.

They had all been aware that they would not be followed into the courtroom by Finn, Kurt and Blaine. They had been haunting Hunter on a nightly basis for weeks now, getting him into a state of complete mental disarray. But they also knew that if they appeared to him in the court, and he started screaming about the ghosts haunting him, there was a change that he would be judged to be insane, and would be incarcerated in a mental institution, not a prison. So reluctantly, they had to stay outside, listening through the door to the proceedings. They therefore did not see the first shock moment of the trial - when the prospective jurors were lead out, one of them was known to everyone in the gallery - by chance, the name Elliot Gilbert had been selected for that round of cases. Reluctantly, he had at once to admit that he knew two of the deceased personally, and could not serve. He had considered not saying anything, but had been reminded by Dani the night before that he would end up being arrested, and could even jeopardise the entire trial. With an apologetic look to those in the gallery, he was taken out with the other rejected jurors, and went to serve in another case. It took hours to carry out this process - the day was exhausting for those observing, and this was only the first of many…


	9. WOHN News 8 - February 10th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 10th 2014**

_Next tonight on WOHN News 8, we shift focus to New York, where the trial began today of the killer of two local men. Our junior staff reporter, Jacob Ben Israel is there for us, and will be every night of the trial. We'll go to him live in a moment, but first here is his report from the first day…._

"The community of Lima was left shocked and stunned last March when the stepson of Congressman Burt Hummel, Finn Hudson, was killed in what was then thought to be a tragic freeway accident. Devastation would better describe the mood when less than 6 months later, Burt's son Kurt was murdered on the eve of his wedding here in New York. His fiancé, Blaine Anderson, was left with serious physical and physiological injuries - and two weeks later, he committed suicide at Kurt's graveside in Lima. The reason - the day before a chance remark made by a visitor to the Anderson home lead to the revelation that Kurt had been murdered by the same man who had also tampered with the brakes on Finn Hudson's car - former Dalton Academy student Hunter Clarington."

"Today at the New York's Central Criminal Court, his trial began. The decision to hold the trial here came only after a lengthy battle by the Clarington family to prevent its transfer to the scene of his first crime back in Ohio. Although exact reasons are not known, it is believed that there battle was strongly influenced by one factor - that Ohio has the death penalty and New York does not. Hunter appeared only briefly after jury selection and other administrative processes had been completed. He looked untidy, frightened and nothing like the self confident looking young man that can be seen in previously released photos. Possibly the enormity of his situation has hit him whilst in jail awaiting trial; from his answers to the charges being pressed - two counts of Murder One for Finn and Kurt, sponsored by Burt Hummel; and one of Attempted Murder One on Blaine, sponsored by his brother Cooper - he does seem unrepentant for his actions, with a firm Not Guilty response to each charge."

"Many of the closest friends and family of the three victims could be seen in the public gallery today - others were locked away in the witness room. It is likely that many of them will return day after day to see the spectacle; to hear exactly why Clarington felt the need to snuff out their lives. There is strong speculation that it is all linked to the scandal at Dalton Academy, Westerville, last year, when the school's show choir, the Warblers, were expelled from the National Show Choir championships over allegations of steroid abuse. No doubt these and other questions, such as why local businessman Jonathan Anderson is absent and uninvolved in the trial of the man that attempted to murder his youngest son, will be answered in the days to come. As usual, WOHN will be bringing you all the updates first, every night and throughout the day. This is Jacob Ben Israel, at the Central Criminal Court in Manhattan."

_So, that has been the case so far - for more details we can go live to Jacob - and apparently Sue Sylvester, live in New York.._

"Yes, Rod, I am joined tonight by our own Sue Sylvester, who was also in court today for the first day of proceedings. Mostly today was about the practicalities - the selection of the jury; one minor point here, a friend of Kurt Hummel, Elliot Gilbert was actually part of the group of New Yorkers called here today for jury service. Of course, he had to pull out…"

"Idiot should have said nothing and tried to get himself selected - then we would have had at least one reliable juror amongst those halfwits…"

"Had to pull out because it is, of course, illegal. The judge in this case is known to be fair and sympathetic towards the gay community…"

"How that helps Finn Hudson's case I don't know, unless you know something I don't.. Not him and Puckerman…"

"The prosecution lawyer is a renowned man, Henry Rosen; no doubt he was secured with help from Burt Hummel's congressional connections. It is just as well that they have a good lawyer, as Clarington's lawyer, Jason Masterton, is famed for winning difficult and often undependable cases."

"I'd like to see him try and win this one - the boy is quite clearly guilty as sin."

"Clarington did make a brief appearance in the dock today to answer the charges laid against him…"

"Should have been 3 charges of Murder in the First Degree - Ok, so he didn't finish Blaine Anderson off at the time, but he might just as well have been pulling the trigger at the Cemetery."

"Hunter displayed absolutely no emotion…"

"Probably can't after taking all those steroids, the pathetic little ass…"

"…as the charges were read out to him, and as he answered Not Guilty to each one. Should he be convicted…"

"No should about it…"

"…he will face a lifetime in prison, as the death penalty is not used here in New York."

"Liberal cowards - the trial should have been in Ohio; then those boys would have got real justice."

"The case will commence properly tomorrow, when the prosecution will open its case with its first witness, the whistleblower on the whole scandal at Dalton Academy, Trent Nixon…."

* * *

Lying next to Rory that night, Trent found that he could not sleep. He was worried sick about the following day. He knew what Hunter had done, but now he had to convince a room full of strangers that everything that had happened was down to Hunter. He had never been a great one for public speaking, but this was going to be the biggest speech of his life. "Stay calm, Trent. Tell the truth. Don't let them get to you," came a voice. Trent looked up to see Blaine standing by the bed, his wings unfurled. "If you need me, or Kurt, or Finn to be there, then we will be. Just call for us. We can't be there all the time, as Hunter has the ability to see us. If he caught sight of any of us, he would freak out, start gibbering about being haunted by angels and next thing you know he would be taken off to a psychiatric facility. If you call, look up above Hunter in the dock and we will be sitting on the ledge that runs around the courtroom walls. Personally though, I don't think you need to worry too much. If I know you, you will be fine. Just stick to the truth." Blaine's words had an affect on Trent - they soothed him enough that he could close his eyes - and the next thing he knew, it was the morning.

Nine in the morning found everyone back in court. Wes and Nick had made sure to sit in clear line of sight from the witness stand, so that Trent could see them, and thus be reassured that he had friends in what could otherwise be a hostile environment. Next to Nick sat Carole; composed at the moment but dreading the first moment that Finn was mentioned, making her relive the whole situation over again. On her other side sat Rory, entrusted by Burt with the care of his wife that day. It was a job that he had accepted with pride - she felt like a mother to him, with everything she had done since he had arrived. His own mother did not even acknowledge him anymore. He was also there for his Trent, of course. He was acutely aware that his boyfriend had not slept the night before. It would all be over for him soon, and then he would take him out and get him drunk, after a meal of course. Take him to a club and dance with him. Help him to forget and remind him that the worst of his long ordeal was finally over.

"Calling Trent Nixon." In the witness room, Trent froze. This was it and all of his fear was freezing him to his seat. "Calling Trent Nixon."

"You have to go, tiger," said Sebastian. "Go it over with and give him hell!"

"Yeah, get the first blow in for the boys," said Jeff with a wan smile.

He looked up to see Cooper nodding, Sam and Santana smiling at him. He struggled to his feet, and made his way on uncertain legs towards the door, past a smiling Rachel and a serious looking Burt. Then he was gone, following the guard.

"Good luck, Trent," said Jeff, his smile now gone. "You might well need it…"

"I swear that the testimony that I give in the cause now pending before this court, shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God." Trent took a deep breath and stared ahead. He was looking everywhere but at Hunter, but he could feel the same smug eyes upon him; so unrepentant in spite of everything. Straight ahead at his sweet Rory, giving him a discrete thumbs up. He could do this; he had to do this for Finn, Kurt and Blaine. He was ready.

"Mr Nixon," began Mr Rosen as he turned his eyes finally towards the table at which he stood, "you were a senior year pupil at Dalton Academy at the commencement of the 2012/13 term?"

"Yes, it was my final year."

"And there was no initial difference in the way things were at the school?"

"No, I had all my close friends there; I had the Warblers; it was just normal."

"But that changed?"

"Yes it did. It all changed the next week when Hunter Clarington appeared at a Warblers' rehearsal, and began to take over…."


	10. Testimony of Trent Nixon I

_Now begins the trial proper. __Rather than have a lot of dialogue, each witness testimony will be written as if they were speaking without prompting from the lawyers. The cross examination afterwards will be written as question and answer. Thanks for reading..._

**February 11****th ****2014: Testimony of Trent Nixon Part One**

"It had started off like any other Warblers' meeting. Nick and Jeff were larking about together side by side on their usual sofa. Sebastian was standing by the council table, going through the paperwork left by Thad at the end of his role as Councilman last year. I was standing at the French windows, staring out over the gardens. We were awaiting the arrival of the new Principal to oversee the election of the new Warblers Council. For the first time in a generation, there was no-one left from the previous year, with Flint and David also having left for college. They had overseen the process of nominations before they left, however. Although nothing had been said officially, it was likely that I would find myself sat behind the Council table with Nick and Jeff this year - as lead soloist, Sebastian could not be placed on the Council. Once this was all done, then the business of freshman auditions could begin in earnest. I had a feeling at that moment that it was going to be a good year."

"In the space of the next five minutes, everything changed. Our new Principal, Mr Simpson arrived - he had been promoted to the position from Assistant Principal last year. His ethos and outlook was completely different to his predecessor. He wanted wins, and so he arrived accompanied by his nephew, and new student, Hunter. He had just transferred from a military academy, where he had lead the choir to glory. He was an excellent singer and likely to be an asset to the Warblers. Nick had tried to point out, with backing from Sebastian, that no-one was allowed to join the Warblers until they had passed their audition. The reply was curt - Hunter would not require an audition - he would be joining the Warblers. All hell broke out in the room at that point - it was only when the Principal reminded us that the very existence of the Warblers depended on his sanction, that we reluctantly, as a group, acquiesced to his request."

"Then the election process began. The Principal read out the list of candidates for Council positions. It was just as I had expected - myself, Nick, Jeff - and "my nephew Hunter - a proven winner." There had been more than a hint of malice in his voice, as if he was challenging us to say something, but after the last time, nobody did. The first vote was for Head of Council. Nick was the one of the three of us that had been chosen to stand for it - he was challenged by Hunter. Nick promised continuity and the upholding of values; Hunter wins and glory. The looks on the younger boys faces at that meant that when the result was announced, it wasn't a surprise. Hunter was Head of Council. Jeff put a comforting arm around Nick, whilst Hunter stepped up to make a speech."

"Thank you for conferring this honour upon me. I have been brought here to ensure that this year the Warblers take the trophy that is rightfully ours from the New Directions. To do that, there will have to be changes, which all those who are true Warblers will accept. Therefore, my first act as the new Head of Council, is to abolish the Council. From now on, we will work under the leadership of one person, with the full backing of the Principal and the Governors. Me." There was a stunned silence in the room at that point - Nick and Jeff looked horrified, even Sebastian looked speechless. "Oh, I know that for some of you this will be difficult, especially for those of you that have been here the longest. But face facts - under the leadership of Wes, Thad, David and latterly Flint, you managed to lose at Regionals twice, and worse still, lost your celebrated lead soloist Blaine Anderson, to your rivals at McKinley High. The old order of things is over. If you don't like that and won't accept it, the door is there…"

"A couple of junior boys got up and headed out at once - at the time, people were appalled, but later, they would come to be regarded as lucky. Everyone else was told to go away, think about things overnight, and return if they still wished to do so the following day. Practice sessions would now be daily - being a Warbler would now mean total focus with no external distractions. In other words, no other after school activities. I ended up sitting with Nick, Jeff and Sebastian in the latter's room. We all loved the Warblers so much, but staying under a leader that we did not know? I did not have any other affiliations at school, but it would mean giving up the debating society for Nick, the art club for Jeff and the lacrosse team for Sebastian."

"We should leave," said Nick. "There are other places that we can sing away from a dictator, however benevolent."

"If we go, then who will stand up for the other Warbler traditions?" said Sebastian.

"I wish Wes was here," said Jeff. "He would know exactly what to do."

"Or even Blaine and Kurt," I said.

"In the end, the three of us decided that we should just rough it out. At that time, we had no idea just how rough things were going to be. If we had, our decision might have been very different."

"For me, it was as if Hunter knew my every weakness. My big heart, my love for my friends, my attachment to the past. I was attacked for every one of these things. I was separated from Nick and Jeff, and relegated to a corner at the back. Sebastian managed to keep his place as main soloist, but only just. I was miserable though, at every rehearsal. Our Warbler mascot was 'removed' and I was given the blame. I knew that Hunter's cat, Mr Puss, had had a hand in events, but I couldn't prove it. Then I started to hear the threats, always made quietly. In his desire to ignore my existence, Hunter often seemed to forget that I was even there. So I heard boys being bullied - threatened over secrets or past events, in clear contravention of Dalton's code of conduct. I wanted to report it, but who to?"

"The final straw for me was the day that I heard Hunter threatening Jeff - telling him that he would tell Nick just how much he loved him; and how he, Hunter, was going to go out and seduce Nick instead. He said other things that I would not repeat, even now, which broke my heart. I thought this was the lowest point but then came the fateful day when the Warblers were changed irrevocably. I arrived at practice with Nick to discover a tray full of vials and syringes on the former Council table. The steroids. There was no discussion allowed - Hunter just told us all to line up and either roll up our sleeves or take off our shirts. Failure to do so would result in our immediate expulsion from the Warblers. I saw the look of absolute horror on Nick's face, and the fear on the faces of Sebastian and Jeff. The former was the first of the four of us in line. As Hunter plunged the needle into his arm, and injected him with the cocktail of chemicals, I saw his face change from fear to resignation. Jeff had cried and had begged, and I thought for a moment that he would walk out. But, after Hunter had whispered something in his ear and gestured towards Nick, who was standing behind me in the line, he had shut his eyes and allowed it to happen. As it did, I heard a sob escape from Jeff's throat, and a gasp of shock and horror from Nick."

"When my turn finally came, I refused point blank. It was against the Warbler code, as it was plain and simple cheating. Hunter had known that I would refuse. There were still three boys behind me, and there were only three syringes left on the tray. I knew what the words meant for me as I said them. I would have to leave behind the one thing that I loved above any other at Dalton. It just wasn't worth taking the drugs to be able to stay. I rolled my sleeve back down and walked away. By now, Jeff was sobbing his heart out in Sebastian's arms, the latter looking guilty as sin. I knew what was going to happen next even as I heard Hunter say "Duval". Nick was as moralistic and principled as me, but he had Jeff to think of. I knew that he would not leave Jeff to suffer on his own. As I reached the door, I turned just in time to see a distraught Nick allow Hunter to inject him. He couldn't meet my eyes as he looked towards me."

"I waited outside, and afterwards, as they all made to leave the room, I tried to approach my three friends. I was blocked from doing so by Hunter, who dragged me back into the Senior Commons. I was pushed up against the wall, his hand around my throat. "Several things fatso. Number One, forget all that 'Once a Warbler, Always a Warbler' garbage. You have betrayed the group through your refusal, and as such, you no longer exist. Number Two, if you try to tell anyone what is going on, I will hunt you down and make you pay. So no running to your precious Wes or the lovely Blaine, who I hear may be wanting to leave McKinley and come back home. Now that we have got rid of the deadweight, I can ask him back. I'm sure he will obey orders. Finally, Nick, Jeff and Sebastian - they are no longer your friends. They have been told to stay away from you. If they don't, then I will expose all their secrets to the entire world. Let's face facts - they will think that whatever I inject them with is just another dose of steroids. It would be so easy to exchange it for something more interesting…. Keep away from them, or they will pay." Then he was gone, leaving me slumped against the wall, in tears, in a room where I had always been so happy."

"Hunter couldn't stop Nick posting a tear stained note under my door that night, in which he said that he wished he could have been as brave as me, but he had to protect Jeff. I still have that note - I kept it in case something bad happened. Hunter couldn't stop the four of us meeting up at the mall 'by chance'. Every time I met them, I noticed that there had been subtle changes in them. Hunter could not stop Sebastian accidentally letting slip to me that the New Direction's Nationals trophy was in the Senior Commons, which in turn allowed me to sneak in and leave the window open, so that Nightbird and the Blonde Chameleon, aka Blaine and Sam, could get in and take it back. That had been a part of Hunter's plan to get Blaine back, but it failed. It made up his mind to stay at McKinley. I alone at that point knew why he had been considering a return to Dalton - his break up with Kurt. It was very easy for me to keep my promise not to spread the news - deprived of the Warblers, I had no close friends to tell."


	11. Testimony of Trent Nixon II

**February 11****th ****2014: Testimony of Trent Nixon Part Two**

Trent had taken a moment to compose himself after his final statement that without the Warblers, he had no friends to tell. Everyone knew that the situation was very different now, but they couldn't help but feel bad for him. He looked up at Rory, who again knew exactly what was needed - a smile. That was enough to start Trent again.

"In the run up to the Sectionals stage of the competition that year, the Warblers had aced everything that they had attempted. Although I was no longer a member, they still performed from time to time for the school. Even so, Hunter was pushing for more and more from them, and was controlling their lives. Class teachers were forced to alter seating plans so that the Warblers could be kept away from disruptive influences, such as me. Rehearsals became longer, and started to take place on weekends too. I think that if it had been possible to do so, he would have had them abandon their academic work altogether."

"If anyone else in the school was seeing the signs that something had gone badly wrong, as I was, then they were saying nothing about it. They ignored the limps, the bound joints, the bruises and the irrational outbursts of temper. Even when a video of an irate Hunter trashing a local coffee shop, the Lima Bean, went viral, nothing seemed to be done. It was around that time that two of Dalton's teachers - a junior Art master and the French mistress - were dismissed overnight by the Principal. No reason was given for it. I met the latter in the mall one Saturday, and all that she said to me was that I had been very lucky to escape when I did. Jasper and Brad, the two boys that had walked out in disgust on the day Hunter arrived, agreed with her. We had all managed to get out - now, escape seemed to be impossible."

"The Warblers won Sectionals, but did so by default. Yes, their performance had been outstanding, but the New Directions had been disqualified before they had finished. I had managed to get an audience ticket, and sat alone at the back, invisible from the stage. I could see the New Directions - how Blaine sat in wide mouthed awe whilst the Warblers performed - but his best friend, now he wasn't clueless. He noticed that something was off. So it was to him that I forwarded the Lima Bean video, which I knew he would already have seen, but highlighted a comment I had made. I had to do something, because things were getting worse. Just after their win, Sebastian was absent from classes for an entire day. From then on, I noticed that he sat close to Nick and Jeff all the time, all of them looking so down and worst of all, scared. Every time Hunter approached them, I saw them jump in fear. They weren't just team-mates, they were my best friends."

"Then a day came when, as I was dashing past the door to the Senior Commons, I heard screams from inside the room. I wasn't totally sure, but it sounded a lot like Jeff. I was on my way to a secret meeting with Blaine and Sam at the Lima Bean. He had asked me to join them for coffee several days before, but this had been my first chance to escape the confines of the school without someone following me. On arriving at the coffee shop, I found them dressed up to the nines - they were having a Sadie Hawkins dance that night at McKinley. I had no sooner arrived than I was immediately confronted with questions.

"Why aren't you in the Warblers anymore, Trent? I know that they meant the world to you, so why did you leave?" asked Blaine.

"And why are the others suddenly leaping around like world class athletes?" said Sam. "Something is wrong there…."

"Did you see the video of Hunter in here that I sent you?" I asked, looking directly at Sam. He looked puzzled, then took the hint.

"So it was you! You can't talk to us properly because you are scared to… the video is a clue to what is going on. A video with a highlighted comment about Hunter showing all the classic symptoms of someone with Roid Rage…" and then Sam's voice just trailed off."

"Blaine looked firstly at Sam, and then turned back to me. Such a desolate expression on his face. That look alone was enough to make me burst into tears, followed moments later by Blaine. It turned out that Sam had made the suggestion to Blaine himself, but he had said that it wasn't possible. I had just confirmed it. Eventually, we stopped crying, and Blaine began to speak again.

"Steroids. That's….not all of them? I can believe it of Sebastian: but Jeff? No, never. And Nick was always so anti-drugs, so moral…"

"Hunter used the information that our new Principal, his uncle, had given him to blackmail Seb: threatened Jeff with the exposure of his love for Nick. Nick only did it because if he didn't, then he'd have been kicked out like me…"

"And then who would be there to protect Jeff…"

"Exactly. It's killing them all. They look good on stage, but I can hear them all crying during the night. They have all picked up some minor injuries - and today I am sure that I heard Jeff screaming as I passed the Senior Commons. It's a horrendous mess and it can only get worse. I have heard a rumour that Hunter is lobbying his uncle to remove them all from classes altogether to guarantee a win. He wants to isolate them from the rest of us, so that he can control their every waking moment. He doesn't care about screwing up their future. He's mad. And there is nothing that I can do…"

"Only there was, now I had allies. I allowed myself to be taken straight away to McKinley, to be talked to by Sam as Blaine kept up appearances on the dance floor. I knew what I had to do, and Sam convinced me of a course of action. I would take everything to Burt Hummel - it was a risk, but if I had a Congressman on my side, it would pay off. The next thing I knew, I was in the locker room at McKinley, telling everything to Finn. I had no sooner finished doing so than I received a call from Sebastian, asking where I was and was I safe…"

"That night would turn out to be the most traumatic of my life. I ended up at the Hummel house - and so did Nick, Jeff and Seb. I found out first hand just how badly they had been hurt - and confirmed that the screams had indeed been Jeff. The extent of their injuries - that isn't my story to tell, but suffice to say, they were bad enough for Burt Hummel to get the sheriff involved there and then. There were a lot of tears cried that night, not just of misery but from the palpable fear of what Hunter might do now that everything was out in the open - what revenge he would seek. That fear at that point seemed to be groundless. Once the police had been involved, everything moved rapidly. The two former teachers were contacted; they were questioned and gave excellent evidence of everything that had been going on. As I had surmised, they had indeed been sacked for daring to take their concerns to Hunter's uncle. Dalton Academy then became headline news for all the wrong reasons. Hunter was expelled at once, and his uncle removed from his position as Principal by the governors, to be replaced in the short term by his predecessor, returning from retirement to save the school. The Warblers golden reputation had been tarnished and expulsion en masse of all its members was only prevented by the intervention of myself, Burt, Blaine and the two teachers, now reinstated. Things would never be as they were, but finally, the dark days of Hunter's reign were over."

At that point there was a pause, as the judge adjourned the court for a late lunch. Trent had held up remarkably well so far, with just one moment were he trembled. That had been whilst the prosecution had been leading him through his evidence on the events at Dalton leading up to Hunter's expulsion. all that would change after lunch, when he was turned over to the defence team. This was as planned by the prosecutor - have each witness tell the part of the story they knew best to avoid too much repetition. The testimony that morning had left Wes in shock. He had been told the basics of what had gone on, but had never heard the explicit details before. Nick had begun to cry towards the end, and had been pulled into Carole's arms - she knew what he was reliving as she had seen things on that night that four Warblers had arrived unannounced at her house that appalled her. Rory could not help but thing how brave his boyfriend had been - to be the lone voice to dissent, to risk the wrath of a bully and the disgust of his friends. Unknowingly to also put his own life at risk in the long term.


	12. Cross Examination of Trent Nixon

_A little earlier than planned...and there will be a little bit more tomorrow. _

**February 11****th ****2014: Cross Examination of Trent Nixon**

As Trent stumbled back into the witness room, he was instantly pulled into a hug by Jeff and Sebastian. The others gathered in the room smiled at him - they knew that he was under immense pressure, but he was fortunate. His part in this whole ordeal would soon be over, and he could move to the public gallery if he wished. Uncharacteristically, Trent refused food, content just to sit and quietly sip from a glass of orange juice as he awaited the guard's return. It was the fastest hour of his life; before he knew it he was being escorted back into the courtroom, and was stood once more on the stand.

"Mr Nixon, you stated in your earlier testimony that the Warblers were 'the one thing you loved more than any other at Dalton.' If that is indeed the case, then why did you embark on a course of action that would destroy the group?" asked Mr Masterton, Hunter's lawyer.

"The Warblers had become something very different by that point - they were no longer the group that I loved."

"Surely though, the Warblers had always gone out to win when they performed?"

"Yes, always."

"So if the ethos remained the same, why would you set out to destroy them?"

"Because the Warblers I knew had a strong moral code. They would never have taken performance enhancing drugs. They would never have resorted to theft in an attempt to lure a singer from the competition."

"But McKinley stole Blaine Anderson the previous year."

"Blaine left Dalton to be with Kurt…"

"…the spy sent from McKinley in your second year at Dalton. A year in which, despite what you are claiming, the Warblers also sent a spy to McKinley, didn't they?"

Wes and Nick exchanged guilty glances in the gallery - how had that managed to come to light? "Yes, ok, I was sent to McKinley to observe the week before Kurt arrived at Dalton - but I didn't hear anything, or learn anything about the New Directions. All I learned at McKinley was how to be rude about Lindsay Lohan in Spanish…" There was a burst of laughter from somewhere in the room at that, and the judge had to call the court back to order. In the press box, Jacob and Sue were both scribbling notes.

"Then the following year, Blaine Anderson was nearly blinded in an attack by the Warblers on the New Directions - an attack in which the intended target was Kurt Hummel."

"Again, that did happen. But that was down to a personal feud, and involved one person. The rest of us were left horrified by it."

"It still shows that the Warblers were not the saints that you like to make out."

"True, but at least we weren't a bunch of frightened drug addicts, being bullied by a ruthless dictator in those days. At least there was a degree of democracy. It wasn't a kangaroo court."

"But isn't that exactly what you used to call the Warblers' council? Maybe the problem here was you, Mr Nixon. You couldn't stand it once your complaints and moans were being overruled. You didn't like the fact that the constant arguing over everything from song choices to piping and ties was replaced by order. You just didn't like being told what to do by a disciplined, accomplished head of choir."

"Oh, that is true. I don't like being told that if I don't let an unqualified person inject me with illegal drugs in an non sterile environment, then I will be kicked out of the choir. I don't like it when the head of the choir uses blackmail and physical and mental torture to get his way. Maybe you think that is a weakness and makes me odd. Most people would just think that it makes me sensible and brave."

"Of course, we all know the eventual consequences of your decision to betray the choir, the school, your friends. Kicked out of the competition, forbidden to even enter this year. Hunter Clarington, my client, kicked out of school, whilst the rest of the guilty were allowed to stay. His uncle robbed of his teaching position, his reputation defamed by your allegations. And three people dead…all thanks to you."

"Hunter killed them, not me!"

"Really? If you hadn't testified and backed up Sam Evans and Blaine Anderson, Finn Hudson would never have gone to the committee, and the Warblers would have remained in the competition. Hunter would never have become so angry and disillusioned. He wouldn't have carried out his alleged crimes if you hadn't spoken out. Try hard to deny it, Mr Nixon, but the fact remains - those three died because of your big mouth."

There was silence in the court. Wes was having a hard time in holding Nick down. He knew what he wanted to do, because he was so tempted to do it himself. Especially as Trent was starting to cry, which sight was in turn making Rory start. He stood silently for a moment, head bowed and tears rolling down his cheeks. Then in a small voice, he spoke. "It has crossed my mind, the notion that you are suggesting. But if I had said nothing, then who knows what might have happened instead? Hunter's temper tantrums were getting worse; he was talking about upping the steroid dosage to make them even better for Regionals. How many of my other friends might have ended up dying from the drugs he was injecting into them? I will never know but…I picture the other Warblers dead. I imagine finding Sebastian dead in his bed, or Nick dying in the arms of an inconsolable Jeff. I sacrificed myself and yes, Finn, Kurt and Blaine for the many. There is only one person at fault here, and we all know who that is…"

Nick was crying again, this time in the strong protective arms of Wes. He alone knew about the fact that after Sectionals, Nick had ended up slumped in a corner, halfway to the Green room, because of the pain he was feeling in his chest. He had concealed that from everyone else, even Jeff. The fact remained that he had suffered tightness in his chest and difficulty breathing. It had begun not long after he had first been injected by Hunter, and had progressively got worse. He knew it was his heart. Now, the pains did not happen, and apart from Wes, no-one even knew that they had. Maybe, though, after all this was over, he should tell at least Jeff…

The defence lawyer tried again to get Trent to admit that it was all his fault, but to no avail. Trent knew that he was innocent and so did the lawyer. It was just a case of trying to deflect blame, in any way possible, to alleviate Hunter's guilt. Still sat there, so smug. Glowering straight at Trent, willing him to break apart and admit his part. Then, as swiftly as things had begun, it was all over for Trent with a quick "No further questions." His part in the trial was over and he was free. Free to return to his studies in Washington DC. That was what he had made up his mind to do. He had considered sitting in the gallery every day, like Wes intended to do, but in the end… He would be back for the verdict - wild horses could not keep him away from that. Maybe he would come back earlier, to be there for Sebastian and Jeff. Just now, he wanted to return to some semblance of normality. Rory would be free to return too, as soon as Burt was free to sit with Carole, maybe sooner if he asked and Wes took over the job. That night would be his and Rory's - to celebrate that his ordeal was over. The first thing he intended to do was go out and raise a drink to his three dead friends.

On leaving the court, Trent quickly found himself pulled into the safety of Rory's arms. Wes and Nick were there also, but it was Rory that Trent needed - the comfort of his boyfriends arms. He remained close to him throughout their journey back to Bushwick - once there, they went straight to their room, to sit in companionable silence, wrapped in each others arms. Eventually Trent spoke. "It was awful, Rory. It felt as if I was back at Dalton, his face everywhere. The constant fear and intimidation. I'm just so glad it is over. So, I want to go back to DC - back to normality, at least for a short while. To coming home to each other in our little apartment."

"Then we go back tomorrow. I'll tell Burt I need to take you home, and he'll let me go. And then we can put all of this out of our minds and just be us."

"Until the verdict. I want to be here for that. Maybe before… To be honest, I'm worried about how Jeff is going to cope…"

At that moment there was a knock on the door, and then Sam's head appeared around it. "Trent, Wes is here; he has something for you." There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he said it.

"Send him in - we're decent," said Rory.

The door opened fully to reveal Wes with a grin on his face. "As Sam said, I have something for you. It should have been here this morning but it got held up on its way from South America." Still grinning, he stepped aside to allow two people to enter the room.

Trent's face lit up the moment he saw them: he jumped off the bed to grab hold of them, with a cry of "Oh, my God! Beats! Flint! It is so good to see you!" Then he was engulfed in the arms of the two former Warblers, who were just as pleased to see him.

The next hour was a blur - the guys were introduced formally "to my lovely Rory" and reacquainted themselves with Sam, Rachel and Santana. Then the door burst open to reveal an over-excited Nick and Jeff; and Sebastian trying to play it cool. He spoke first to ask "So how was Antarctica? Apart from cold…"

"It was an experience," said Beats, "but all we wanted to do after we got the E-Mail from Wes about Kurt was come home. Then, when the second one arrived…"

"We sat in our room and cried in each others arms for hours," continued Flint. "But there was no transport available - it was early spring and too stormy. Even if we could have got through, we couldn't have made it back in time. Then one day, as soon as the weather improved, the police arrived and took away one of the young army guys that was on the expedition with us. That was strange…"

At that, Trent looked at Sam and Santana - they knew why that had happened. At some point in the next few days, everyone else would too. Until then, they would continue to say nothing.

In the end, Rory did take Trent out to the little club that Blaine had discovered on his and Kurt's first night out in Manhattan, but they weren't alone. They were joined by a gaggle of Warblers - Nick and Jeff needed to cheer themselves up too; Sebastian was always in the mood for a spot of flirtatious fun; Beats and Flint had never been to a gay club and were curious; and Wes felt the need to go to keep an eye on his flock. As it happened, by the end of the night, Jeff and Sebastian were the most sober - they had even behaved on the dance floor, not ending up dancing around shirtless like Beats, and to everyone's shock, Wes. Trent could barely walk as he had insisted on matching Rory pint for pint on Guinness. As they made their way home, he had completely forgotten about the events of the day - all he wanted to do was snuggle in bed 'with my little half pint Irishman.' And that was exactly what he ended up doing.


	13. WOHN News 8 - February 11th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 11th**

_The trial of Hunter Clarington began in earnest today in New York; for WOHN, here is Jacob Ben Israel with an update on today's events._

"Thanks, Andrea. The first witness finally hit the stand today: Trent Nixon, the sassy Warbler who blew the whistle on the entire steroid scandal. Revealed today for the first time were some details of the horrendous conditions behind the scenes at Dalton Academy. The torment that many of those boys went through in the hands of Hunter Clarington was at times, unbearable to hear. Nixon himself was forced out of the Warblers when he refused to take the steroids. He witnessed his close friend, Nick Duval, taking the steroids solely so that he could stay and try to protect his younger cohorts, and his best friend, Jeff Sterling. The climate of fear that existed is reminiscent of a horror film. That the boys succumbed to the whims of their leader is not surprising or shocking when the circumstances are explained."

"Nixon was attacked by Clarington's lawyer, Jason Masterton, after his sworn testimony. In an unbelievable attack, Nixon was told that he was responsible for the deaths of the three boys, not Clarington. He showed great courage - he admitted that he felt guilty, but revealed his fears that the steroids were have a potentially fatal affect on his erstwhile colleagues - and that in his opinion, more of them may have died if he hadn't spoken up."

"Tomorrow, Blaine Anderson's best friend, Sam Evans, is scheduled to appear on the stand. Evans played a pivotal role in the exposure of the Warblers; he also found the battered bodies of his friends in New York. His evidence is therefore likely to be both telling, and heart wrenching. Once again, I will be in court, and bring you the full details tomorrow. Until then, this is Jacob Ben Israel, live outside the Central Criminal Court, New York, reporting for WOHN News 8."

As the report ended, the words "without Sue Sylvester, thankfully" might just have been overheard…


	14. Testimony of Sam Evans I

**February 12****th ****2014: Testimony of Sam Evans Part One**

It was only the second day of the trial proper, and yet everything now seemed so routine. There were differences - Rory and a seriously hungover Trent were on their way back to Washington DC, and there was of course now one less person in the witness room,. Numbers in the public gallery had been left unchanged - Nick had to go into work that day, despite the fact that he also had a serious headache, but Carole, Wes and Brittany had been joined that day by Mercedes and Artie - the former finished in the recording studio, the latter with no classes to attend. They had both felt a powerful need to be there that day to support the next witness - someone that both of them were very close to.

"Calling Sam Evans." Sam took a deep breath and stood up. He was more than ready for this. He could finally take the fight to Hunter. All the anger and bitterness that had accumulated since the day of the arraignment could be unleashed in his evidence. As he made his way to the door, Cooper stopped him and said "Keep calm in there, Sammy. Don't let them stir you up, rile you and get you into trouble. Just tell them what they need to know to nail him." Then Sam was out of the door, following the guard along a corridor that would finally end in the courtroom. He could feel his blood getting colder as it drew nearer. For all of his bravado, Sam was scared. Scared that he would mess it all up, and allow Hunter to evade justice.

"Mr Evans, you were a Senior year student at McKinley High School in the 2012/13 term?"

"Yes."

"And along with Blaine Anderson, you were a member of the school's glee club, the New Directions?"

"Yes; it was our second year in the club together - my third in total."

"I'd like to take you back to the days around Thanksgiving in 2012. You were performing at the Sectionals stage of that years show choir competition, and one of your competitors that night was the Dalton Academy Warblers."

"Yes, they were - but at the time, I felt that their performance was all wrong."

"In what way wrong, Mr Evans?"

"I had competed against the Warblers in both 2010 and 2011. Their singing was always pretty flawless, but their choreography was always a little lacking in style and substance - they were just very buttoned up. In 2012, however, there performance was completely out there - leaping, diving, acrobatics - way beyond what I would have expected."

"And that made you suspicious?"

"Definitely. Afterwards, I approached Blaine with my initial doubts - he didn't believe me at first, but then, thanks to another two members of the club, Artie Abrams and Joe Hart being in the right place at the right time, there was a video…"

* * *

"I had been feeling quite disconsolate since our loss at Sectionals, and the subsequent official disbanding of the New Directions. The loss of the club had hit us all hard; we all found something else to do, but it just wasn't the same. Marley Rose, the girl whose collapse had cost us our place at Sectionals, was blaming herself for everything, although we had all reassured her that it wasn't her fault. Finn Hudson, who was in charge of us whilst Will Schuester was in Washington fighting for Arts Funding in Schools, felt guilty too. But I was also being troubled by something else. The Warblers. They had gotten very athletic all of a sudden. The guys that I knew in the group - Sebastian, Nick, Jeff - had never been slouches, but now it seemed as if their inner Olympians had suddenly emerged. What was really weird was the fact that prior to their performance, when Blaine and I went over to wish them luck, they ignored us. At the time, we felt it was a backlash from the whole trophy debacle. It explained the latter, but not the sudden energetic dance moves."

"Then one morning, not long after the video had been taken by Artie, I was at home, about to set out for school, when a ping from my computer revealed that someone had sent me an E-Mail. A message from someone called Therobin, with an attachment. I knew all about the rules about E-Mails with attachments, but I opened it anyway. The message read, simply and cryptically, 'No. 17 might answer what you suspect. Yours, Therobin.' I opened the attachment and it was Artie's film from the Lima Bean. For those of you that haven't seen it, the scene that unfolds is one in which Hunter Clarington, the leader of the Warblers, basically trashes the Lima Bean because the barista had put Splenda in his coffee. Amusing though it was to watch again, I failed to see how it could give me an answer. Then, I saw it - _113 Comments._ I scrolled down to the seventeenth - and a light went on in my head. It explained exactly what had been so off - and now I needed to tell the others, starting with Blaine."

"So, let me get this right, Sam. Based on a video that Artie posted on Youtube, sent to you by 'Therobin', about whose identity you incidentally have no idea, and a random comment that they have made…"

"Blaine, think about it. You know those guys. Did you ever suspect that they could perform in such a spectacular fashion as they did that night? I was watching you, and your jaw dropped further and further as you watched. It all makes sense - his comment backs up the photographic evidence of their headshots - Hunter is showing all the classic signs of Roid Rage."

"Ok, I will admit that that is true, and I can see Sebastian doing them…but Nick and Jeff? Never. Not in a million years. And as for…." Suddenly, Blaine stopped. In a quiet, halting voice he continued. "He wasn't there. He loved the Warblers - he'd never quit unless… But why would the others…? Darn it Sam, if you and Therobin are right… Oh, Lord! It's not Therobin, it's The Robin! Wes decided for some reason, in his last year at Dalton, to give us all bird names as some kind of secret code. Trent wasn't there. His bird name was Robin. He is letting us know that something is very wrong at Dalton - and he is too scared to come straight to me and admit it."

In the public gallery, Wes couldn't help but smile. They had all thought that he had finally lost it when he was handing out those names - Blaine (aka Nightingale) in particular had thought that he was stupid; the fact that he had even given one to Kurt (aka Wren) by then an ex-Warbler… It had paid off though. It had given Trent an alias under which he could communicate with Sam, in his one man battle against Hunter. As he pondered on his genius, the door to the gallery opened and he was joined by Flint and Beats (aka Meadowlark and Woodpecker respectively). They both looked rough from their activities the night before, but had still managed to get up in time to go to Penn station to see Trent off prior to coming to court. Wes quickly caught them up on the proceedings so far. How his bird code had been particularly useful in allowing Robin, via Sam, to contact Nightingale. Both of his friends realised at that point that Wes (aka Blackbird) would be insufferably smug about this fact for some time.

Sam's testimony continued. "After his realisation, Blaine sent Trent a text, inviting him to meet him for coffee and a chat at the Lima Bean. After a lot of toing and froing, a date was finally settled on - the exact same one as McKinley's Sadie Hawkins dance. Trent had arrived looking cautiously around him, as if he was scared that he was being followed. We confronted him with it all straight away. When he spoke it was so quietly, and his face made me feel so bad. What he said was enough to set my best friend crying, Trent sobbing too as the truth came out. We had to more or less kidnap him at that point and take him with us to McKinley. I drove Blaine's car to school, he drove Trent's. I ended up sitting with Trent for a long time in the locker room as Blaine kept up appearances on the dance floor. Trent was scared to stand up and be the one that drew the world's attention to Hunter's reign of terror. He was afraid of the consequences for himself and worse, what he would do to his friends. Looking back now, he was right to be afraid. At the time, all I selfishly wanted was justice for the New Directions. If help could also be given to the poor guys at Dalton, then that was a bonus."

"I managed in the end to extract a promise from Trent that he would stay in the locker room whilst I went to get Blaine - and he brought Finn with him. With Trent staying hidden in the shadows, I told Finn of my suspicions, with a little help from Blaine. Finn's reaction to my case was as I expected - without hard evidence we were helpless; no-one would listen to hearsay and rumour - just assume that it was sour grapes. What exactly it was that convinced Trent to step out of the shadows at that point and say that he was prepared to stand up I will never know. Maybe it was the remembrance of what he had heard as he had left Dalton that night. I never got the chance to ask him, as seconds after he stated he would do it, everything suddenly exploded. Trent was called by Sebastian. Everything that happened from then on is etched in my memory. I heard things and saw things that time will never erase. I saw people broken by suffering, and friends united by pain and grief. But that was the end of the reign of Hunter Clarington - and the return of the New Directions."


	15. Testimony of Sam Evans II

**February 12th 2014: Testimony of Sam Evans Part Two**

"Everything was suddenly back on track - there was heart stopping drama as a result of a gun incident at McKinley, but aside from that things were mostly good. Finn had decided to formally go into teaching and had gone to college to help him pursue it. Kurt came back to Blaine, culminating in a spectacular proposal of marriage at Dalton, where the recovering Warblers had played a major role. We had won at Regionals and were on our way to Nationals in L.A. Everything was going well; it was all on track. Then in the blink of an eye, our world was suddenly turned upside down. Finn died in a tragic 'accident'. Aside from Blaine, Finn was my best friend - he had done so much for me over the years. He had convinced me to join the New Directions in the first place; had come to Kentucky to bring me back after my family moved away and gave me a place to stay with his family; he was just always there for me. Now he was gone, and the desolation that filled all of us drowned out all the happiness from Kurt and Blaine's engagement. I cried so much in those weeks, being comforted in the main by Tina and Artie. Blaine was spending every moment he wasn't at school with Kurt and the Hummel's. I even broke down in tears in the choir room at McKinley as Rachel sang her tribute to him - I found myself sobbing on Santana's shoulder, which trust me, was the most unlikely place in the world for me."

"After that, the last few weeks of high school seemed so strange. There was a Finn shaped hole in the choir room. Blaine had an episode of strange behaviour in the choir room, which turned out to have been a gas leak - I heard the repairman saying that it didn't look like accidental damage, but at the time, I thought nothing of it. I suddenly found myself pushed to the fore in the group, as Blaine worried about his future and getting into NYADA. I had blown my college chances with a few badly chosen words at an interview. We went to L.A. in the hope of winning for Finn. We received messages of support and encouragement from the Warblers - Burt and Carole came along as chaperones. But like in so much of life, we didn't get what we wanted. Losing meant the end of everything - it wasn't just no victory for Finn, it was the end of New Directions. That was hard to cope with, and I felt as if a lot of it was my fault. I could have done more, pushed harder. My team mates didn't blame me - nobody did. Everyone said it wasn't my fault, but… We ensured that our trophies were stored away in safety, and placed a photo of Finn in the auditorium to mark our legacy. Then it was graduation, and I just felt so lost and alone. But then, I was offered a place to go and a chance for a better future. Blaine invited me to go along with him to New York; even the chance to stay with him and Kurt short term. The future suddenly seemed so much brighter."

"The New Directions are like a family. I realised that in my first year in the club - my family were having some troubles, and they would help me out. Now, that same family was giving me a chance to get out of small town Ohio and move to cosmopolitan New York. I was going to have a chance to find my way and make a better life for myself. I knew from day one that it wasn't going to be easy. I couldn't sleep on the loft sofa forever - I was smart enough to notice that my presence caused some tensions between Kurt and Blaine. The number of people in that relatively small space had doubled overnight to six, with Brittany having joined Santana. That created a sense of fun, even if there were kind of awkward moments - I had dated Brittany for most of my Senior year, after all. Then came the day of the Gay Pride parade. Suddenly, there was going to be a wedding, in less than 3 months. My presence seemed to be less of an issue once the place was full of fabric; with plans and hopes for the future. On the work front, I had managed to score a couple of part time modelling gigs, and had been offered a longer term one with the art department at Columbia. As Kurt and Blaine's big day approached, life for me was getting so much better - things were finally looking up…"

Sam had to pause - and a recess was called for lunch. His friends in the public gallery knew what was coming next. Why Sam had needed the break. His last few statements had been so full of joy and hope for the future. All of that was about to be broken apart by events. It was a far sadder looking Sam that returned to the stand after lunch.

"The pre-wedding party was one of the best the New Directions have ever had, despite the fact that it all had to be done on a minute budget. Everyone was gathered together in the one place; we had those Warblers that were closest to Blaine and Kurt with us, and even Sue Sylvester, our one time nemesis, had been invited by Kurt. She had always had a soft spot for her Sweet Porcelain. She seemed to be enjoying herself - I remarked to Blaine casually that a happy Sue was usually a bad sign, and he laughed his head off. Everyone was so happy - and then I noticed Brittany, sitting with Santana, looking agitated and upset. I had been woken that morning by the sound of her sobbing at the kitchen table, but I was too tired to get up and see if she was alright. Then the two grooms left. I was sitting talking to Rachel, both of us remarking how happy Finn would have been to see this happen. It was at that moment that we were suddenly thrown into our worst nightmare. Santana was walking by us when her phone rang. Her face fell, and then she was screaming at Rachel to dial 911, at me to follow her. I don't know why, but when she ran out of the diner, I followed. In the pit of my stomach I knew that something bad had happened. I just never imagined it would be as bad as it was."

"That moment will be etched in my mind forever. Even now, I dream about it - see the scene drenched in shades of red. The glance up an alley that revealed the stuff of nightmares. The two slumped bodies, surrounded by ever expanding pools of glistening liquid. My stomach churning, my eyes trying desperately to unsee. The dash into that alley - my heart in my throat, my mind screaming, every fibre of my being willing me to run in the opposite direction. Having my broken best friend telling me to look after Kurt first - prioritise his fiancé. A boy now battered out of recognition. The fragile shell of a beautiful soul now shattered into a million, irreparable pieces. At that moment, I knew - I knew that the chances of Kurt surviving this were slim to nil. If I am being honest, I don't think he would have wanted to live in the condition he was in. If that was indeed the case, then he was granted his wish."

Sam stopped again, to swipe away the tears that were running down his face. Then, he began again, his voice heavy with emotion. "The screams of my best friend when I had to break the worst news to him still echo in my ears. I can still feel his fists hammering into me as I held him in that bleak hospital room. That was the first indication of course - that the Blaine that I knew and loved like a brother had died. The whole event altered him so markedly. The post-Kurt Blaine was hard, tough and uncaring. He was vicious and unkind. He did not want sympathy - he rejected all the love that he was offered, pushed everyone away, except Cooper, with his words and actions - even me. Then it all came to a head. The day that he found out that all of it hadn't been an accident. His response was inevitable. To anyone that really knew him, what he proceeded to do was exactly what we would have expected."

"It was still a massive shock to the system. I knew what had happened the minute I opened the door at Bushwick to Sue Sylvester and Emma Schuester - my response was to collapse in tears. It seemed as if my own world had died along with Blaine. Life was a lot less colourful, and the song that I always carried in my heart took on a mournful tone. Blaine left me money; a home; and wise words - but I would trade all of that in for just five more minutes. I just felt so lost. When I then found out that I was in danger of meeting a similar fate to Kurt, that my family was in danger - well, that never leaves you. Even now, safe in the knowledge that Hunter and his accomplices are behind bars, I still feel vulnerable. I don't like to walk alone late in the evening - I fear that every footstep I hear behind me is some as yet untraced cohort of Hunter's, out to get me. I don't feel that this trial will end that. There will always be the same doubts in my head. Finn died, as did Kurt, at the hands of a madman, hell bent on revenge for being caught cheating. Blaine killed himself, wracked with his feelings of guilt that he had, in some small way, been the cause of their deaths. The old Sam Evans is dead too. The brave, fearless version of me - he is gone. I still look the same on the outside to those around me, but in my heart and my mind, that old me has been replaced by a boy who is often frightened of mere shadows."

With that statement, Sam's testimony was over, but his ordeal was not. He still had to be cross examined by the defence team. To make matters worse, they asked the judge to delay that until the following day. She had reluctantly agreed to their request, and adjourned the case until the next day. This left Sam to spend another night in torment, fearing the questions of another lawyer who was not on his side. His sleep was fitful. He tossed and turned as his mind replayed every moment from the last six months. In the end, he gave up the battle. Once that choice had been made, he was suddenly confronted by Blaine, sitting on the end of his bed.

"I thought that you could use some company. I know that you are finding this hard Sam, but tomorrow - well strictly today now - will bring an end to it. I won't lie to you and say that it will be easier, because it won't be. It will probably make yesterday look like a walk in the park. You just have to be strong, Sam - for me and for yourself. You mustn't let them break you. And even though you won't be able to see me, I'll be there, right by your side. I promise."

Blaine sat there with Sam until it was time for him to get up and face a new day in the court. They had acted as they had done on their occasional sleepovers in Senior year. They had talked, and in the end, had brought out the Star Wars fanfiction. For a moment, the old Sam made an appearance. The coming of a new day sent him scurrying away.


	16. Cross Examination of Sam Evans

**February 13****th ****2014: Cross Examination of Sam Evans**

So it was that the next day, Sam found himself back on the witness stand - he could feel his nausea rising before anyone even spoke. When Mr Masterton did, it was to ask the first of many questions.

"Mr Evans, you stated that you were the first to notice that something was wrong about the performance of the Warblers in the Sectionals contest"

"Yes, that is true."

"You then took your doubts to Mr Anderson; Mr Nixon then became embroiled in events when he broke rank and betrayed the group."

"He didn't betray the Warblers - you cannot betray an organisation that has already rejected you."

"Then you took your doubts to Mr Hudson, and had him take your evidence of cheating to the governing authorities of the show choir competition in Ohio?"

"Yes, he brought everything to their attention."

"The result of this being that the New Directions' disqualification was overturned, and you progressed to the next level, despite the fact that there was another contender that had actually finished their performance."

"Yeah, I was shocked by that. It turned out that they had an illegal entrant on their team. It was justice I suppose - the cheaters not winning over those that abided by the rules."

"You still lost in the end - no doubt that can be at least partially attributed to the death of your friend and mentor, Mr Hudson. That must have been quite a shock.."

As he paused, Wes could feel his hackles starting to rise. He was being too nice to Sam. All this was preparation for a vicious attack on the boy, any moment now.

"So, you agree that you were the one to push for the checks on the Warblers to take place. You were the one to place them under the scrutiny of the authorities. You can take credit for exposing the whole 'Steroid Scandal' to the world."

"I suppose so, yeah…"

"Then you surely realise that it was you that created the circumstances that forced my client's hand… and that as a result, the subsequent deaths of Finn and Kurt can be attributed to you…"

There was a stunned silence in the court. 'Not again,' thought Wes. 'Is everyone going to be held responsible apart from Hunter?' Sam just stood in silence.

"Well, Mr Evans? If you had not pushed to discover what was going on, then no-one would have been any the wiser. The judging panel hadn't noticed. The teaching staff at Dalton were for the most part, turning a blind eye. Even Blaine Anderson who, let us not forget, knew a number of the boys involved, saw nothing wrong, Just you. You pushed at Blaine until he believed. You dragged Trent Nixon into the mess as the witness. You all but forced Finn Hudson to go to the authorities. Because you couldn't cope with the fact that the New Directions had lost. Lost because you broke the rules and left the stage. Yes, let us not forget that you broke the rules too…"

"Marley was sick…it's not the same."

"No, it isn't. Because nobody died as a result of her fainting. People died because a boy couldn't just accept the fact that his team had lost and had to push. The blood of Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel and yes, your best friend, Blaine Anderson is on your hands Mr Evans. Yours."

This time the silence in the court was broken by a low keening noise. A whine that pierced the heart. It was the sound of someone whose life was broken. Who felt such guilt, who no matter how many times someone said 'It's not your fault' knew deep down that it was. That thanks to him, Burt and Carole had lost their sons; Cooper had lost his brother… it was the sound of Sam Evans finally falling apart. He fell slowly to his knees as a gasp rang out around the court, his body convulsing as the pain broke him. The knowledge weighed down on him and shattered his mind. The court clerk was quickly up and dashing over to the stand, to prevent him falling any further and injuring himself. He was completely unresponsive as she tried to talk to him, the judge looking on in horror.

In the end, Carole was allowed down from the gallery to hold Sam tightly to her; to whisper in his ear. To try and soothe his tortured soul, all the while being watched by a stunned gallery and a smug Hunter. It worked - the eerie whine stopped, but in its place came tears and sobs. Then came a voice, small but clear.

"Don't you think that I know that my actions lead to everything that has happened. Don't you think that I wish I had a time machine to go back and change everything. To bring them back. I know when I would go back to. The day that Hunter stepped into Dalton Academy. Because I would stop him going in, by whatever means. I have to live with my guilt, but only because he started the Warblers on steroids in the first place. That's the only reason that I had to do anything. Because he used the drugs. My fault? Yes. His fault? Much more."

Suddenly, Sam pulled himself out of Carole's arms, to stand up again, his head held high. His eyes were red rimmed, his cheeks tear stained, but there was an anger burning in him.

"I'm not the person that decided that people had to die for telling the truth and exposing downright cheating. I'm not the person who trashed a coffee shop over Splenda in his coffee. I'm not the person that had a group of his peers scared stiff over what he might do to them if they did not comply, were not perfect. I am a human being, with a belief in honesty and a sense of morality. I don't expect the world to obey my every word. I do not see myself as very important, if I am honest. I am just a small cog in the big machine of life. I am not a monster - some people are. The only things that keep me going through each day are these - that Hunter will get the justice that he deserves, and that my friends are together in the afterlife. I hope that one day, I will be good enough to join them. So yes, they died as a result of an enquiry that I pushed for. But if someone, your client, hadn't been up to no good in the first place, then it would not have been necessary to have one."

With that, Sam's turn on the witness stand was over. As the judge adjourned the court for lunch, he made his way back towards Carole, who lead him away to the gallery, where his friends were waiting. Mercedes pulled him into her arms the moment he got there, and once again, he broke down in tears.

"You've done exactly what you had to do, Sam. You told the truth, stood up to them when they tried to twist it, to make it your fault. I…no, we are all so proud of you. Our boys will be proud of you."

"I'm right behind all of that," said Artie. "With everything that you have gone through, it would have been so easy just to crumble. You didn't. He's going to get everything that he deserves. Now though, you deserve lunch. Pizza, at the nearest and best restaurant. Our treat."

So it was that Sam found himself ordering his favourite pizza, at his friend's expense, in a small place close to the court. Surrounded by people that would never blame him for what he had done. Proud of him for standing up to be counted when the chips were down, and the rules were under threat. His head still rang with the praises of Mercedes and Artie; with the kind and comforting words of Carole. Brittany had shown her love by refusing to stop hugging him. Then something happened that he was not expecting. Wes had made several phone calls on his way to the restaurant. He had also been in quiet discussion with Beats and Flint. Now, he stood up, and asked for hush.

"Sam, myself and my fellow Warblers are grateful for everything you have done. You saved our name before it was too late. So, after discussion with the majority of the group, we have all agreed that we need to honour you ourselves. It is therefore my privilege to award you this. This is an honour bestowed on a select few. The last time was last year, when we welcomed a new brother, the partner of one of our most honourable members, to the fold. Sam Evans, with this badge, I make you an honorary Warbler. We are forever in your debt - all of us. Maybe one day, when all of this is over, you can join us for a song…"

With that he motioned for Sam to stand. He then pinned the Warbler badge to the lapel of his suit jacket, before standing back and applauding. He was joined in this by everyone around the table, which did admittedly earn them some funny looks from everyone else in the place. Once again, Sam started to cry, even more so when he noticed that Kurt and Blaine were standing next to Wes, clapping as hard as everyone else.

"He called the others - Nick at his work; Thad and David in L.A.; Jeff and Sebastian at court; Trent in Washington; he even called Drew and Ethan in Britain. He then summoned me and Kurt. No-one had any objection. You're a star Sam. A true Warbler. I'm proud to say that you are our bird brother," said Blaine.

Kurt meanwhile was whispering in Wes' ear. It occurred to Sam that the way Wes looked as he listened intently to Kurt must look odd to Flint and Beats - after all, they couldn't see Kurt. Wes nodded, and once again asked for silence.

"Sam will, of course, need a bird codename. I was thinking Hawk…" said Wes, before turning to give Kurt a wink.

"A toast to Hawk, the newest addition to our nest," said Flint, raising his water glass. As the toast echoed around the table, Flint wondered what was wrong with Wes - firstly the strange facial expression, and now the winks to an empty space. He would have to discuss his concerns with Beats later…


	17. Testimony of Burt Hummel I

**February 13****th ****2014: Testimony of Burt Hummel Part One**

The day at court was not over - although Sam was still feeling upset, even after being made a Warbler, he refused to go home and not be there to show his support for the next witness. He saw Burt Hummel as his 'Ohio father'. He had opened up his home to him more than once. He had been there for all of them even when his own heart must have been breaking. It was only right and proper that he should be there. They all made their way back to the court, to find Nick waiting outside - he quickly welcomed 'Hawk' with a hug and a promise that he would fill him in on all of the secrets of the group when they got home that evening.

"Calling Burt Hummel." Those were the three words that he had been anticipating and dreading in equal part since the day that his son had been taken from him. Now the moment was here when Burt's private grief would be exposed to the world. The story of the deaths of the two sons of the Congressman had been in the media before, but this time, his private pain would be on display. The first time, he had been forced to deal with the situation alone - no assistant sat in an office in DC to field the calls. This time, he knew that Rory would be sitting, primed and ready, in his office. His answers would be factual and couched in the correct style. Trent had stepped up to assist (and no doubt would be helping Rory out in other ways, Burt thought with a chuckle). He took a deep breath and stepped behind the guard on his way to the stand.

As a Congressman, Burt had quickly become accustomed to public speaking - he was no slouch when it came to getting his point across. The Criminal Court was, however, an entirely different environment - as he stepped up onto the stand and took the oath, he did not have the protection of benches of his peers. This time, he was the main focus. To make matters worse, he was standing directly across from the young man that he knew was responsible for the death of his three sons. He had always regarded Blaine as his son too; had always been so proud of all of them.

"I used to have three sons - Kurt, by blood; Finn, by marriage; and Blaine, my son-in-law to be. I loved all of them equally, although at times… When my relationship with Carole was still in its early stages, Finn started off badly with me. He said things without thinking that offended Kurt and as a result, me. But as time went by, he came to care less for his reputation and more for Kurt as his 'little brother' - in terms of height that is, as Kurt was just a little older. He came to love him, and was always there when he needed someone to stand up and protect him. Kurt had his issues - his sexuality had never been in question - heck, I knew he was gay by the time he was three - and in Ohio, that made his life a living hell at times. He was so strong, so brave, and I know that his mother would have been so proud of the way he handled his life. Finally, along came Blaine - the dapper young apple of Kurt's eye. Those two were made for each other - even when they had broken up, I always knew that they would get back together in the end. I had three sons, that I loved - and one by one I lost them…"

"After he graduated from high school, Finn had his difficulties. He had left on a high. The New Directions had won the National Show Choir competition. But that was the turning point - after that, things started to go wrong. He had to let the love of his life, Rachel Berry, go to New York; he had applied to colleges there, but failed to get a place. So he took a decision that shocked me at first, but then after I had thought about it, made me so proud of him. He enlisted in the army. Carole was worried sick, and I could understand why. Basic training however would keep him occupied for a while, and by the time he completed it, there might no longer be a need for troops on the ground in the likes of Afghanistan. As it happened, he never even finished basic. An accident saw to that. Carole was secretly relieved. I could see that it would just be another set back to him - something else that he had failed in. Once he came home, and had recuperated, I got him to come and work at the garage with me - then, I gave him time off so that he could run the New Directions whilst Will Schuester was in Washington."

"In doing that, Finn found something that he was good at - inspiring and coaching young people. So, maybe I accidentally left a brochure for the local college lying around, open at the right page. Maybe I had a word with Noah Puckerman, his best friend, who was about to enrol there. Finn applied for the course and was accepted. He threw himself into college life, content that his future would now be in teaching, passing on his knowledge and his enthusiasm. He had been filled with a new optimism, with hope. I was so proud of him - he had got his life back on track. And then one day came the phone call that every parent dreads. A crash. Death on impact. Broken hearts and shattered dreams all round."

"Worst still, for me, there came guilt. I had undertaken a full service on Finn's car only two weeks earlier. That the cause of the crash, of my stepson's death, of the grief that was overwhelming not just my wife and my son, but the whole of Lima, might have been down to me missing some small defect - it was hard to bear. I was always so careful with my checks, so I couldn't understand it. And fortunately, nobody blamed me. Everyone thought it was just a tragic accident."

"Kurt also had his share of troubles after graduation. At the last minute, he found out that he hadn't been accepted by his dream college, NYADA after all, whilst his best friend, the aforementioned Rachel, who had choked in her original audition, had got in. But Kurt, he got through it and resigned himself to another year in Ohio. Blaine was having none of it though, and encouraged him to go to New York anyway and pursue his dreams. As it turned out, it was good advice - he ended up scoring an internship at Vogue. But there were consequences - with fault on both sides, Kurt and Blaine ended up splitting up. I could see that it wasn't the end for them, just a bump on the road. I tried to stay neutral and to be there for my son and for Blaine. You see, he needed someone to talk to as well, and his own parents - let's just say they weren't up to much. It was a relief when, with encouragement from Kurt's boss, a line of communication was re-established at Thanksgiving."

"The main positive that came from the split was that it gave Kurt the emotional pain that he needed to pass a surprise second chance audition and get into NYADA. I was so pleased for him, but then I had to drop a bombshell on him. After a heart attack in his junior year, Kurt insisted I get regular checkups. That was how we caught the cancer early. Still had to tell him though, and of all times, I found out at Christmas. So I might have taken Blaine with me as a gift for him. It was early days, but I like to think that it helped get them back on track. By Valentine's Day - let us just say that I heard things from Kurt's friend Mercedes that a year earlier would have horrified me. This time, the news that they had been making out in the back of a Prius just made me smile."

"Move on a few weeks and I was given a surprise. Blaine asked if he could see me, and when I arrived, he gave me a rainbow pin - the one I have pinned on my lapel - and then asked me for my permission to propose to Kurt. That was a difficult one to deal with. I had come to love Blaine like another son, and was always so surprised that two parents that were as much use as a chocolate fireguard had managed to produce a son that was a polite, charming, dapper gentleman. His brother, Cooper, says that their housekeeper should take the credit - that and Dalton. He had made mistakes - some small, some massive, but in the end, when he was needed, he stepped up. He had helped Kurt when he was being bullied, overcome his own fears to dance with him at McKinley when Kurt was crowned Prom Queen, and even took a slushie in the face which nearly cost him the sight in one eye - all for the love of Kurt. But marriage - it was too soon. They were both still young, and not even officially back together. I did not give him permission, nor did I deny it. I thought that he would go ahead and do it anyway. I couldn't really stop him - the decision was up to him and Kurt, not me."

"In the end, I drove Kurt to his surprise proposal. Was there for the crucial moment when my two sons got engaged. I had always known that they were meant for each other. They were young, but an engagement ring does not mean that marriage is imminent. I was expecting to wait years for the actual wedding, particularly after the devastation of Finn's death. So when they called me up from New York less than 3 months later to say that they had applied for a licence and had got one, I was shocked. Sure, I knew about the challenge to the law, but I also knew it had no chance. Then they announced that they would be getting married in September. I had to admit that I lost my temper with them - asked them why they couldn't wait. We argued to and fro for a while, and then Kurt said "Well, if you don't like it, dad, you don't have to come," and slammed the phone down. That stung - I realised I could lose my boys. Carole was nearly as mad at me as Kurt, but our discussion was less heated. Her main argument was that they were going to get married someday, so why delay the inevitable? They didn't need my permission, just my blessing. So I called back - to Blaine. I knew that he would pick up. Kurt had a stubborn streak, like his mother. He had been comforting an upset Kurt. I told him I had changed my mind. That was it, the fight was forgotten. I offered to help pay for things, but Kurt was having none of it."

"Then came that night in New York. It was one of the most joyful of my life, the only tinge of sadness coming from the fact that Finn was not there. His absence was felt by us all, but mainly by Carole, Rachel and, according to Santana, by Brittany. That was why she looked so sad. Fact is, I love every one of the New Directions and a heck of a lot of the Warblers too. They had all been there at one time or another for my boys; for me and Carole too after Finn died. I supported them as best as I could - acting as a chaperone for the New Directions on their trip to LA for Nationals, or as a source of help for the Warblers when Hunter was at his most vile."

"The time came when Blaine had to head off to his hotel; for Kurt to head home to Bushwick after walking him there. I hugged Blaine, reminding him that he would officially be family this time tomorrow, and then I did the same to Kurt. I can remember what I said to him as I held him - "I am so proud of you, son. So happy for you both. I love you." He replied "I love you too Dad. I can't wait until tomorrow…" That was our last conversation. The last thing he would ever say to me. Less than 3 hours after that, my Kurt was lying on a slab in a mortuary…"

As Burt started to cry, the judge decided that it would be a good point to adjourn proceedings for the day. In many respects, Burt was grateful for that, as his tears were by now flowing quite freely. The media would be enjoying seeing this - the tears of a Congressman as he talked about the death of his son. But for today, the show was over. All he wanted to do now was head back to Bushwick with Carole; sit down and eat a home cooked meal; and think about something other than his sons' deaths. If he knew Kurt, he would probably join them that evening, along with Finn and Blaine. It wasn't the same as having them physically there, but it was better than never seeing them again, as he had initially feared.


	18. Testimony of Burt Hummel II

**February 14****th ****2014: Testimony of Burt Hummel Part Two**

The next day dawned as cold as all the previous ones. It was Valentine's day, but their hearts were not in the spirit of the day - although both Santana and Brittany, and Nick and Jeff did exchange cards. There was no sense of romance in what they had to do that day - as Burt returned to the stand to recall the end of one of the greatest romances he had ever known - that of Kurt and Blaine.

"With the departure of the two grooms to be, the party had begun to wind down and draw to its natural close. Carole and I were talking away to Will Schuester and his wife Emma, but I was aware of the great hilarity that was being caused by Noah Puckerman. I didn't want to know what the text message said, even more so when Santana Lopez appeared on the scene, grabbed her phone back and started to berate him in Spanish. Carole and I were getting ready to go when her phone began to ring. That was when the commotion began - suddenly Santana was shouting at Rachel, then running out of the door, Sam right behind her. As he did so, I caught a glimpse of his face - no longer smiling and so pale. It was then that I became aware of Rachel standing right in front of me - and she spoke to me in a halting voice… _"Burt, I… I need you to listen and come with me. Something has happened. To Kurt and Blaine. Sam and Santana have gone to help them. She asked me to call 911 - it must be bad…" _I knew what I had to do - I had to get to my boys. I had to demand to know all that she knew, then follow Sam and Santana. Puck had overheard every word - his face had fallen, and he had taken off to help too. Thankfully the Schuesters had also heard every word, and took charge at the diner as Carole and I left, otherwise we would probably have ended up with everyone following us…"

"So we followed Santana's directions, the three of us - Puck was visible a good two blocks ahead of us by that point. We moved as quickly as we could in the same direction. When finally we caught up with Puck, he grabbed Rachel and told her to wait there with him, at the mouth of the alley. His face was white as a sheet. I knew that things had to be really bad - but he made no attempt to hold myself and Carole back. Knew better than to try, I guess. What confronted us was my own personal version of Hell. My boys lying broken on the ground. Their two friends with them, clothes splattered with blood. I fell to me knees by my son, my beautiful Kurt, now only recognisable by the clothes he was wearing. I took his hand, as Carole launched into her full nurse mode - to do her best to try and save them. All I could do was pray. Time seemed to slow down - I found myself in the back of an ambulance, still holding his hand, as we hurtled along avenues to the nearest hospital. And under my breath I was begging Kurt to be alright; praying to God that he spare him… I was finally parted from my boy at the door of the ER. We were ushered into a sterile waiting room - I was still praying, my hope still alive, as Carole sat silently by my side. I think she knew then what the outcome was going to be… Soon enough we were joined by a shattered Sam and Rachel - Blaine was not as bad as Kurt, but he still had multiple injuries."

"That night as you all know, my prayers went unanswered. The doctor appeared and once he had confirmed who we were, he began… _"Mr Hummel, we did everything that we could, but the severity of your son's injuries were such that we could not save him…" _I heard the scream of anguish from Rachel; the sound of sobs from Sam; I felt Carole grab my hand. But all I could think at that moment was 'be there for him, Elizabeth. Finn, your brother needs you…' That night the colour faded from my world. I had lost another son, and this time it was my own. The pain that began that night will never come to an end, as long as I live."

"I honestly cannot tell you how long I sat in that room. I was completely lost in my own thoughts. I was dimly aware of Puck arriving moments after we were told; of him howling like a dying animal and collapsing on Santana. Of that young lady taking charge, and dealing with the flood of people that began to arrive - Carole had called the Schuesters to tell them where we were, and I guess it got out. I could hear the sound of crying from the corridor, but not see any of it. That made it a little more bearable. Of course, we were then confronted by the issue of who should tell Blaine. He had to be told, and I knew in my heart that I should find the strength to do it. In the end, I just couldn't do it, and the task fell to Santana and Sam. They had such strength, those two - how they found the stamina to go and break his heart…. I'll always be grateful to them."

"They hadn't been gone more than a few seconds when the doctor arrived to escort myself and Carole to the mortuary. To stand at my boy's side. To hold his now cool hand one last time. That was what broke me - the coldness of his hand. It established the finality of it. My boy was gone, and the light of my life had been snuffed out."

"The funeral was delayed for Blaine to be well enough. He was the last of my sons. He had been badly hurt in the attack - the physical damage would mend, given time, but the mental scars, well they were huge and building. The first signs that something was badly wrong manifested themselves at the wake - I should have realised at the time and tried to do more. I was so caught up in dealing with my own pain; in dealing with Carole's; and there was a growing pile of congressional business to be dealt with. My assistant had walked out the day after Kurt died. So I had to leave Blaine in the hands of his brother, Cooper. They weren't close, but he had come to New York for the wedding - now he had dropped everything to step up and fill the breach that his parents should have occupied. As the days passed, Cooper began to call me, more often over time, and each call more anguished than the last. I heard tales of Blaine attacking his friends - I put this down to a side effect of his grief and trauma. Then he went from verbal attack to near physical assault on Sam, his best friend. Then I began to worry. Add on to that the fact that Cooper was now resorting to desperate measures to keep his sibling under control - it was just one big mess."

"The arrival of the sheriff six days after Kurt's funeral was not unexpected - he was an old friend of mine. Only this time, he was visiting on business. There was an incriminating text message - and suddenly the whole world was turned upside down. I knew who Hunter Clarington was, and what he had done at Dalton - the fact that he was behind the attack… Then on top of that, the even bigger shock - the suggestion that Finn might have been murdered by him too. If that was true, then it proved that I had serviced Finn's car correctly, absolved me of my guilt for his death. But it also made things even worse. An accident you can deal with - the deliberate targeting of your child by someone in revenge for a slight - that was unbearable. Then there was the fact that Kurt had only been targeted because of his relationship with Blaine. I knew that he would feel so guilty over that - and sure enough, he arrived that night to beg for my forgiveness. I told him that he didn't need to be forgiven - he had done nothing wrong. He seemed like his old self that night, and that bothered me at the time. I gave him a hug as he left, told him that none of this was his fault. He just smiled and said his usual goodbye. That was the last time that I saw Blaine alive."

"I still wonder if I could have done more the next day, when a frantic Cooper called me in the early hours to tell me Blaine had gone, and so was his father's gun. If I had got the sheriff involved sooner I might have saved him - stopped him killing himself. In all likelihood, it wouldn't have made the blindest bit of difference - just delayed the inevitable. A week after the funeral, two weeks after Kurt's death, my last son, Blaine, blew his brains out. He had been broken by a combination of overwhelming grief and guilt. He felt responsible for the deaths of the other two. He left notes to those he was closest to - including one for me. A letter which began with his wish that he could have called me dad. That line darn near broke me too. In a little over three months, my world had been irrevocably altered. I had had three sons, now I had none."

"But life has to go on. I had a job to do, and people needed me to be strong. So that was what I did. In the process, I gained two new 'sons' - the distraught and broken Cooper, who was unable to return to his parent's house, full as it was with his memories of Blaine; more or less estranged from them in any case, given their inability to care that their youngest child had died: and Rory Flanagan, a young Irishman, a friend of my boys who had come to the States on an exchange programme in his senior year. He had given up his entire life to come for Blaine's funeral, having been denied the chance to come to Finn's and Kurt's. He had been working for an Irish politician on US affairs - he became my new Congressional Aide, and Carole and I have more or less adopted him."

"The presence of those two young men has helped to keep me going. They gave me a reason to carry on, as all of their friends have. They are just so strong and supportive of each other, especially of Sam and Trent.. Those kids are such a resilient bunch. They've had to be. Life had already been so cruel to some of them before Finn died, in particular to those Warbler boys. Good has come out of all our adversity though, and that gives me hope. Puck found his calling in the USAF. Sam and Rachel have found strength in each other. Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling got engaged; Trent Nixon found love in the shape of young Rory. The New Directions, disbanded at the end of the school year, ended up being reinstated as part of Blaine's legacy. It just goes to show that good can come from great evil. From the depths of despair we reached for the light, and found it."

"I have thought long and hard about the punishment that Hunter deserves. I am not a man that approves of violence, but when I heard that the trial was to be held here in New York, I was amongst those that tried to have it moved to the scene of his first murder in Ohio. I understand why the Clarington family was so keen to have the case held here - if it was my son on trial for murder, then I would have been equally desperate to have the trial held somewhere with no death penalty too. At the same time, that is what he deserves. He snuffed out the lives of two of my beautiful sons and drove the third insane. He tore apart the lives of everyone around them. He does not deserve to live. Some will say that rotting in jail for the rest of his life is a worse punishment - but I wouldn't."

The defence had no questions for Burt. They could not challenge him on anything he had said, or accuse him in any way of provoking Hunter's actions. The judge decided to adjourn the court for the day and resume the trial on Monday. It was still early in the day, but everyone saw the wisdom in not bring the next witness, Santana, on to the stand. In any case, she was to be followed by Puck - the air force needed notice that he was required; the extended delay meant that he could be summoned to be in court from Monday onwards. There would also be a call to make to Quinn, so that she too could make her way to New York. Two unexpected guests had also made the decision to come - Mike and Tina. This had prompted some rapid rearrangements to the sleeping arrangements at Bushwick. With Rory and Trent back in Washington, there was an additional room. Out of respect to Burt, it was decided that Tina would share Santana's room with Quinn; Mike would bunk in with Sam, leaving the foldaway bed in the study for Puck. Rachel was quietly wondering what would happen when Trent and Rory came back - she supposed that she could sleep on the couch if it came to it. Burt was wondering how much noise they would all make as they swapped rooms in the middle of the night… One thing was certain, they all needed to be together.


	19. WOHN News 8 - February 14th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 14****th**** 2014**

_Now, at the end of the first week of the Clarington trial, here is Sue Sylvester with Sue's Corner, this week live from what appears to be a bar, in New York._

"Thank you Andrea. This week I have seen our great American legal system in action first hand. It is not the first time I have been in a court room, but it is the first time that I have attended a murder trial where I actually cared for the victims. Those three boys were special. Finn Hudson was a leader. Blaine Anderson a young gentleman. Kurt Hummel just the sweetest man in the world - my Porcelain. None of them deserved to die, and certainly not at the hands of a psychotic prep school boy. Hunter Clarington has guilt written all over him, and yet his lawyers have attempted on two occasions to pass the blame to the whistleblowers of the Dalton Steroid Scandal, Sam Evans and Trent Nixon, for his whole murder spree. Does justice still exist when it allows two innocent people to be hectored on the witness stand; reduced to tears by the mindless berating of a smug self-satisfied law graduate, who probably only got where he is today by who he knows? If there was still justice then Clarington would be facing trial in Ohio - the location of his first crime. I am not talking here of the murder of Finn Hudson, but of his reign of terror at Dalton Academy. Because, you see, not all prep school boys are bad - in fact, those that were close friends to my Porcelain are actually darn nice. He left them traumatised, and who knows how that will affect them in the future? We still do not know the full story from Dalton - hopefully next week, we will find out more. All that we can hope for is that the system actually does what it is supposed to do - protect the weak from those in power; with money, strength and influence behind them. Clarington must be found guilty, or, in my opinion, the whole system on which this great nation is built is worthless. And that is how Sue sees it, on a Friday night, in a dive bar in the cesspit that is New York…."

* * *

Ahead of them now stretched two whole days of freedom from the court. Rachel, Sam and Santana would all be working at the diner - the girls during the day, Sam on the evening shift with Brittany. That Friday night they were all free and able to relax for a few hours and enjoy themselves. Burt had left for Washington to deal with some issues he had to sort personally, and had taken Carole with him - they both needed a break away from the court. So the young people sat down to dinner together in the new loft. The table couldn't accommodate them all - they numbered a dozen in total after the unexpected arrival of Beats and Flint from Princeton. They ate, they laughed and they sang. Once again they ended up in the small club in Manhattan so loved by Kurt and Blaine. To dance away their stress and forget all their troubles for a while. No-one drank heavily that night and Wes kept his shirt on (though Beats was joined by Flint and Sam instead.)

As Wes sat between Rachel and Artie, watching whilst the other 5 Warblers and the honorary one danced like dervishes, he wondered how the next week in court would go. How would Rachel cope when she was on the stand? Would Santana, kissing Brittany quietly in the corner, be able to stop herself going all 'Lima Heights' if she was cross examined? Could Sebastian resist being himself and snarking at the judge? How would Jeff hold up as he had to wait for his turn, virtually last and on the other side? And finally, Flint and Beats - should he be reading anything into their growing addiction to gay bars?

The remainder of the weekend passed in relative quiet. Nick spent a lot of time quietly with Jeff, who had retrieved his drawing pad and started a new set of sketches. His fingers worked miracles with a soft black pencil. Beats agreed to sit for him on Saturday; Flint on Sunday. This allowed him to add two more drawings to his collection of Warbler sketches. Wes had posed for him the previous week and had been seriously impressed by the level of detail, and by the way he had progressed since those early days at Dalton. Jeff had made the right choice in opting to go to art school, that was sure.

Early on Sunday, Mike and Tina arrived together, having met by chance on the Subway. (Santana had rolled her eyes when she was told that one, with a quiet 'Yeah, right') Quinn appeared in mid afternoon. They had quickly settled in and once more there was a full house for dinner. It was fairly late when Burt and Carole arrived back with a stray that they had found at Penn station - Puck. Still in his uniform and on leave until such time as the trial was over, to ensure that should he be recalled to the stand, he would be readily available. Burt had pulled a few strings, using his position for the first time. Everyone was glad to hear that Puck was going to be around for a while, particularly Quinn, whose face lit up with a broad smile when the news was announced. The only thing clouding the horizon was the fact that they would have to head back to the court and the trial the next day.


	20. Testimony of Santana Lopez I

**February 17****th**** 2014: Testimony of Santana Lopez Part One**

Another Monday morning came, the weather still unseasonably cold. Winter was still not yet prepared to let New York out of its grip. The group in the public gallery was the largest yet at eight - Mike, Tina and Quinn had elected to join Burt, Carole, Sam, Wes and Brittany, the latter in a stressed state, worried about Santana and the ordeal she was about to undergo. In the witness room, Puck, in his uniform, took his seat amongst the others for the first time. He was startled to be handed a script by Rachel. She was worried about falling behind in her preparations for her Broadway debut in _Funny Girl,_ and so had brought several copies of the script with her. She had done so for most of the previous week - Puck found himself asked to take on the part that Santana had been playing. The latter was worried about the day ahead. Taking the stand was bad enough, but if the defence lawyer started on her, like he had done to Trent and Sam from what she had been told, there was no predicting what Brittany might do. Her thought were disrupted by the words "Calling Santana Lopez." Her moment had arrived.

"I have a reputation - a deserved one, I will admit - for being a bitch. For speaking my mind, and doing things that nobody else would dare. Like attempting to become Prom Queen in my junior year by blackmailing the closeted Dave Karofsky so that Kurt Hummel could return to McKinley. I have to admit that I always had a soft spot for Kurt. He could be just as much of a bitch as me - could fire back a barb without a seconds thought. At the same time, he really cared for the people that he loved. His relationship with his dad, Burt, was one of which I was insanely jealous. He managed to change the attitude of Finn Hudson towards him. He went from being an unwanted and despised crusher to a much loved 'little brother' in just under a year. Now Finn, I always kind of liked him too - he was just always there to get my back when I needed someone - or just to help me out, like the time I sat on the chocolate cake, and… well he walked behind me all the way to the locker room…"

Then there was Blaine. At first, I didn't particularly warm to the prep school hobbit. It still stings that when the Warblers were performing _Silly Love Songs_ at Breadstix on Valentine's Day, he singled me out for the line 'Sometimes it doesn't come at all.' But then, as time went on, I saw just how much he cared for Kurt. That he would do anything for him - even quit the safety of Dalton for the chaos of McKinley. I warmed to him slowly - I was still struggling with issues around my own sexuality, and he was just so damned confident in his - plus he had a relationship he was open about. But alongside Kurt, he was there for me when suddenly, during Burt Hummel's Congressional campaign, I was suddenly outed and my world came crashing down. I was fond of them. That was why I did all that I could to nail Sebastian when he threw that rock salt laden slushie at Blaine and nearly blinded him. No-one messed with my Klaine and got away with it…"

Then high school was over for me, and my college career wasn't really working out. I headed to New York to one person that I knew would care - Kurt. I knew that at the time, his relationship with Blaine was officially over. Yeah, right - they had promised each other until their dying day, and they meant it. I moved myself into his and Rachel's loft in Bushwick and proceeded to do all in my power to get the lives of my roommates back on track. It wasn't that hard to keep giving Kurt a gentle push back towards Blaine. To get Finn to come visit and deal with the issues of Rachel's boyfriend Brody, who turned out to be a gigolo. I knew that he would come running to defend Rachel - his loyalty was another reason why I secretly like him."

"When Blaine's phone call came to invite me to fly back to Ohio at his expense to attend his elaborate proposal to Kurt, I jumped at the chance. And let me reassure you all, nobody cheered louder than me when Kurt said yes. My memories of that day are of unmitigated joy; of hope for the future. All of that was shattered so shortly afterwards. I will always recall that day - coming home frazzled from a long shift at the diner, to find Rachel weeping inconsolably on the sofa, and a red eyed Kurt trying to book flights, console Rachel and pack for the pair of them. I took over the latter and tried to help console them both, whilst at the same time struggling to process Finn's death myself. When they had gone, and I was alone, I broke down and cried all night. The fact that such a nice guy like Finn was gone was just devastating. I was glad that nobody had witnessed me that night - I had a reputation to maintain. I didn't want people to think that I had gone soft. Days later, back in the choir room at McKinley, I tried to be my usual bitchy self, but in the end, I just showed everyone how soft I had become. I tried to sing for Finn, and broke down in tears. I ran off when Mike Chang tried to comfort me - and I regret that because he is another one of the really good guys. In the end, it was Kurt that came to comfort me, that listened to me, that placed Finn's letterman jacket around my shoulders…."

"In the end, Kurt and Blaine both helped me to get over my sense of loss. Rachel and I still clashed all the time: and when the big fight finally came, I was gratified and shocked to discover that Kurt sided with me. His advice to me after all of it had calmed down was this - life is too short to squabble and fight with your friends. Make it up with people - don't harbour grudges and resentment. Accept that we are all human and forgive. He had done that with Blaine after all, and now he had a fiancé. I took his advice to heart, and did it in two instances. I gave up my role as understudy to Rachel in _Funny Girl_ to prevent the total destruction of our friendship - and Kurt's mind in the process. It worked, and by the time we returned to Lima when it seemed that the New Directions were finished, we managed to patch things up. Then there was Brittany - she was the love of my life. I had pushed her away at the start of my college years, and now I wanted her back. I wanted to save her from the unhappiness of her life since she had become a 'Math Monkey' at M.I.T. I tried, and I succeeded. That I did was all due to the inspiration that Kurt and Blaine provided."

"It was thanks to me and Brittany that Kurt and Blaine ended up at the Gay Pride parade, where they overheard the suggestion that gay marriage in New York was to be prevented once more. So, you could say that a lot of what subsequently happened was attributable to me. Far from it. They didn't have to rush down to City Hall to get a marriage licence. The funny thing was that when they arrived home clutching that piece of paper they were….subdued. It was as if finally having the authority and ability to do what they had always planned just made it all so real. So I might have encouraged them to go for it - I reminded Kurt of what he had said to me - life is too short. So they went for it - the two of them working so darn hard to prepare the wedding of their dreams on a tiny budget. After the tragedy of Finn's death, the demise of the New Directions - we all needed something to cheer us up. Everyone was so happy to be part of the event - desperate to be involved. The party before the wedding at the diner was my idea. They had both decided against a bachelor party, so this was our one chance to get together and celebrate…"

"Then it had all fallen apart - in the space of a few seconds the atmosphere was changed from happiness to horror. Answering that call - hearing Blaine croak out his desperate pleas for help, not for himself, but for Kurt. That he was hurt did not seem to matter - just his Kurt. That was how they were - so in love that they would both be willing to give up everything for the other. I knew what I had to do; not just dial 911 to summon the police, the paramedics but go myself. I took Sam with me only because he was the closest person to me at the time that would be any use in the crisis. It could just as easily have been Puck, Mike or Quinn; even one of the Warblers, had they been nearest. Sam was there, so he drew the short straw. Rachel I left to call the emergency services, to tell Burt, because I knew that she would crumble if she was faced with the worst case scenario. Something that I was hoping not to see myself."

"Luck was not on my side that night. I did get very close to the worst. I didn't even see them at first - that fell to Sam. Blaine's best friend. A sweet, innocent soul - nothing like as strong as me. When I glanced up that alleyway and so the two forms he was running towards, I just froze. Let's be honest, I didn't want to be there; to see what I feared the most. When the nearest of those two forms struggled to raise its head as Sam crouched down beside it, I was relieved. It was not the worst case - there was still life. So I made my way up the alley. To a battered Blaine. And could go no further. The person lying beside him - it was obviously Kurt; the clothes were right and the proximity indicated it - but he was unrecognisable. The ruins of his face - that image still appears every so often in my nightmares. It still makes me sit bolt upright in bed and scream."

"I knew then. Even as I knelt down in the pool of blood that surrounded Blaine, Sam having moved over to Kurt, even knowing that the paramedics were on their way, I knew that it was probably too late. Kurt just looked so, so pale. Shattered into a million fragments. There was too much blood on the ground. In some ways, and I feel awful even saying this, I felt that it would be a blessing if he did die. Could he lived with his battered face? The pain? The knowledge that all his dreams had been broken? I only found out afterwards that Kurt's spine had been fractured, and that had he lived, he would have been paralysed from the neck down. No more chance of a career on Broadway. Just a life sat unable to do anything for himself. Blaine would have given up everything to take care of him, and that would have made it worse. So, yes, it was better that Kurt died."

"Puck arrived next. He looked so stricken when he saw them, but I forced him away to stop Rachel. She would just have started to scream; would have broken down and got in the way. I couldn't have asked him to even attempt to stop Burt or Carole. Wouldn't have. These were potentially the final moments of Kurt's life, so his dad had to be there. I could see Burt's heart breaking, the light going out in his eyes as he arrived, to sink down next to his son, to clasp his hand, and hope that he would feel his warmth and know that he was there. Maybe he did - we will never know. Carole just switched straight into nurse mode - a coping mechanism. She was quickly checking over Blaine, identifying that he had broken bones as well as the more obvious wounds and cuts. But I saw that even her calm exterior started to crumble as she did the same for her stepson. I think that like me, she knew that there was little that anyone could do for him, and began in that moment, to prepare herself for the worst news a parent can ever get all over again."

"What happened in the next few minutes are still a blur to me, as they were then. There were flashing lights, paramedics, cops - I found myself standing next to a ghostly Sam, no colour in his face, but a streak of crimson blood matted in his hair. I could see he was struggling to keep his composure, but he did. Knew he had to stay strong for those around him, like me. So I took his hand, tried to share some of my strength with him. The minute that Kurt was wheeled away, Burt and Carole were gone. Then Blaine was loaded onto another gurney, and Sam was gone with him, holding onto his hand. Rachel joined him in the ambulance, and I found myself alone with Puck. It took only one glance at his face, normally so set and strong, but at that moment with the shine of tears in his eyes, and I broke down. I was sick, violently so. I just felt so empty, so helpless, so lost. This was supposed to be a happy time; a change from the catalogue of death and despair that had hounded us so far that year. It seemed, however, that death was not yet finished with us."


	21. Testimony of Santana Lopez II

**February 17****th**** 2014: Testimony of Santana Lopez Part Two**

After she had finished her previous testimony, Santana had paused, and the judge had adjourned the court for lunch. She longed to be able to go and sit with Brittany for a while, but as she was officially still on the stand, she was confined to the witness room, where Rachel was driving Puck slowly mad. She noticed that Jeff had his sketch book out and that Sebastian was sitting stock still, posing for his friend. The bond between the Warbler boys intrigued her, particularly the closeness of Nick, Jeff, Trent and Sebastian. From what she remembered after the whole slushie incident on Blaine, they had not been particularly close, but now they were the best of friends. It was maybe the only good thing to come out of the whole situation with Hunter. In no time at all it seemed, the court was reconvened and Santana was once again on the stand to carry on where she had left off.

"I will never forget being in that hospital waiting area. I listened to, and saw, so many hearts broken that night. When Puck and I got to the hospital, we found out straight away that I was right - Kurt had died. With his death, a little bit of my heart and of all our hearts died too. I remember vividly so many of the others - Puck collapsing with a howl of pain; Artie, who had been Kurt's friend the longest, sobbing his heart out as he curled up in his wheelchair; Quinn, who had found a true friend in Kurt when she had fallen pregnant in high school, just staring in to space, so lost, unable even to wipe the tears from her face. The Warblers, those 'preppie boys', normally all so buttoned up, weeping like babies around their leader, Wes Montgomery. Now he was different. Like me, he was keeping strong for those around him, his 'fledglings' as he called them. Nonetheless, I could see the pain in his eyes, and no doubt he could see the pain in mine. Then there was Mike Chang - she knew that he cared a lot for Kurt, knew that he had to be in pain, but he was keeping himself busy, comforting his friends. It was as if the three of us just knew that our place at that moment was to keep our own emotions under wraps, and help those around us. There would be time for us to cry in the darkness afterwards."

"But in the end, I didn't have to wait until I was alone to cry my tears. Nor, from what I have been told, did Wes. The inevitable moment came when the nurses came to inform us that Blaine had woken up and was asking for news of Kurt. Someone had to break it to him - Burt was in no fit state; Carole had to be with him; Cooper was still M.I.A. so I volunteered to go and tell him. I owed him so much for all the support that he and Kurt had given to me and Brittany over the years. It scared me, but I just felt I had to do it. Then Sam, brave, wonderful Sam, volunteered to come with me. He was in bits - one of his best friends had died; he had been with them as they were dying. Yet his sense of duty towards Blaine overwhelmed his own grief and pain. So we went to his room, joined in the end by our old high school guidance teacher, Emma Schuester. We entered that hospital room, and we didn't even have to come out with the words. As soon as Blaine saw our faces, he knew. One look at them was enough to send him into a flood of tears."

"Seeing him break the way he did broke me. I suddenly felt dizzy, unable to stand on my own feet any longer. Mrs Schuester had to grab me before I fell to the floor. As for Sam, he was holding Blaine, who by now was just screaming. That noise tore the last bits of my heart to shreds. That noise, echoing down the corridor of the hospital was also what finally cracked the veneer of Wes Montgomery, sending him falling to the floor in floods of tears too, caught by a horrified Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling. The noise was one of pure despair; of a soul being ripped apart; of a heart losing hope. It marked the end of the Blaine that we had all loved and known. He wasn't the same after that. At first he was silent, his once bright eyes now dull and glazed. His appearance became scruffy, as if he no longer cared about himself, let alone anything else. Kurt had gone, and his reason to live had gone. The boy in Sam's arms that night became a vacant shell. A shell that something else would come along and make their home - something bad."

"For the last two weeks of his life, something took over the body of Blaine Anderson. It had a nasty streak that made me seem like a kitten. The first obvious signs for most of us were at Kurt's funeral - he got into a rage then, and remained in one for the remainder of his life. I fell victim to him early on - he swore at me in fluent Spanish, a language that he never even studied, as far as I am aware. He also left Tina in tears, Mike in shock and as for Sam - well least said about that, the better. I still don't know exactly what he said - all I know is that Sam turned up on our doorstep in Bushwick just after midnight, woke us all up and then collapsed on the doorstep in floods of tears. When Blaine finally died, Sam was the worst affected, closely followed by me, so I am told. I was left virtually inconsolable - and when I found out about Hunter's part in all of this - well, to be honest, I felt the urge to go to the jail and kill him, because he took away from this world three of the best people in it. He ripped the heart from the New Directions; broke the spirit of the best of the Warblers all over again; and left Burt and Carole without their sons, Cooper without his brother. He deserves to be punished in the strongest way possible."

Santana's testimony was over, and now she waited for the moment that the defence would aim a question at her. She would relish it. Her chance to tell them exactly what she thought of their attempts to blame everyone but Hunter for his actions. She wasn't given it - when the judge asked Mr Masterton if he had any questions for the witness, he said no. The disappointment on her face was obvious. Still, she had to step down from the stand and go and wait in the corridor for the judge to wrap up things for the day. As she sat, her eyes downcast, on a bench in the deserted hallway, she felt a breeze. She looked up to see Kurt standing before her.

"Hey Hummel. I hope I've done my best for you, Blaine and Finn in there. I told them how important you all were to us and how much we still miss you - even if we do still have you around on the quiet…"

"You were wonderful, as I knew that you would be. I can't have been easy for you to relive that night; to describe it in so much detail to a room full of strangers. Finn sends his thanks too. He would have come himself, but he had to go and help someone new come up. He does that far more than me and Blaine yet. Speaking of my husband…"

Santana smiled broadly at the use of that word, and at the smile it brought to Kurt's lips as he said it.

"…Blaine is in the witness room trying to stop Puck and Cooper throttling Rachel…"

Santana laughed out loud. "Still annoying people by getting them to help her with her lines for _Funny Girl _then? Please tell me that she has Puck replacing me…"

Kurt gave a smile and a nod, and Santana laughed all the harder.

"Ok, I have to go. Say hello to everyone for me, and tell them that I will see them all soon. And be especially nice to Puck - he'll need a lot of sympathy after what he's been through today - and even more tomorrow."

That night, Santana held Brittany close to her as she slept. For the first time in months, Santana also fell into a deep sleep in which she did not see blood or have to relive the horror of that night. Instead, she found herself dreaming of the wedding; in which two angels vowed themselves to each other for all eternity. Not far away though, Puck lay wide awake on his bed in the study. He was not looking forward to being on the stand. He alone had been in court before - the last time in the dock, for trying to steal an ATM. How long ago that seemed now - another lifetime, but in fact, not much over 3 years. If someone had told that Puck that he would be in the USAF; in a relationship with Quinn Fabray, but without his best friend Finn, he would have laughed. Told them that they were stupid. If he could go back, he would do anything to save them, even if that meant preventing Kurt from ever going to Dalton. If he never met Blaine, then he would not have had such a close connection to the Warblers; Blaine would never have ended up at McKinley, leaving no place for Sebastian and possibly, preventing Hunter ever getting into power. All three of those boys alive. Yet, it would have been a cold world with no Klaine. Would that be something worth sacrificing to have them all alive? In Puck's mind, the answer was an unequivocal yes.

Watching over him, three angels knew that it would have made no difference to things in the end. Without Blaine, Kurt would have finally cracked, and taken his own life. Finn, blaming himself and Karofsky in equal measure, would have got into a massive fight with the latter - and not realised until too late that his opponent had taken to carrying a knife after all of Finn's threats. As for Blaine, his presence at Dalton would not have been enough to stop Hunter's reign. His resistance to the supposed saviour of the Warblers would have been enough to get him involved in a tragic fatal accident, alongside his three fellow seniors, Nick, Jeff and Trent. What had happened was far better than what might otherwise have occurred…


	22. Testimony of Noah Puckerman I

**February 18****th**** 2014: Testimony of Noah Puckerman Part One**

All too soon, it was morning. All too soon, Puck found himself back in court. Waiting for those words "Calling Airman Noah Puckerman." He made his way along the corridor, in full uniform, to stand in front of judge and jury. He had wanted to appear in his own clothes, but Mr Rosen thought that the uniform would make a good impression. He stood on the stand, looking up at the public gallery, which was by now nearly full. As he had expected, Burt and Carole were there, alongside Wes, who hadn't missed a day yet. Beside him was Nick, not at work that day. Artie sat there too, with Mike and Tina. And finally, giving him an encouraging smile, was the woman that gave him such strength - his Quinn. He knew as well that somewhere, Finn, Kurt and Blaine would be watching him. His military training came to the fore as he stood upright to make his oath. To tell the truth, and only the truth. For his best friend; for his Princess and his handsome prince. And also, he realised, for all of his friends.

"I first met Finn Hudson on my first day at elementary school. We hit it off from the moment that we set eyes on each other. We had a lot in common - both of us were being raised by hard working single moms for a start. Both with a love of sport and a secret love of music. The few differences between us we could easily ignore. We liked each other, and that was it. Nothing changed as we aged, going from elementary to middle school with no issues arising. It was at the latter that Finn first showed the talent he had on the football field as a quarterback - on the field, Finn and I made quite the formidable team. By that time, I was no longer Noah to him, but Puck. As well as being the stars of the football squad, we had the girls eating out of our hands. We went on to McKinley High, expecting quite rightly to rule the school. We had competition naturally - there were other equally good players competing for a spot on the team - Dave Karofsky, Azimo, Matt Rutherford and Mike Chang to name a few. The last two became firm friends, the former two less so. We were the jocks - Finn still the star quarterback. We did rule the school, and at that time, we bullied the geeks and freaks. One of them was Kurt Hummel, the only out gay kid in the school."

"By the start of our sophomore year, Kurt was more or less standing by the dumpsters, ready and waiting to be thrown into one, on a daily basis. I did notice that Finn felt guilty about it - he was nice to him, and would hold his designer jacket whilst we threw him in with the garbage. I couldn't understand it at the time - there was a pecking order to high school, and Finn was breaching it. Then one day, the unthinkable happened. Finn joined the glee club. Ok, I knew that he liked to sing - we had all heard him in the showers, and hell, I liked to sing too. But there were limits. My best friend was in a club with not only Kurt, but the wheelchair bound Artie, the goth stutterer Tina, the admittedly not unattractive Mercedes and worst of all, the frankly annoying Rachel Berry. I tried to force him to leave for the sake of his reputation and mine. It didn't work - within a few weeks I had joined the club too, along with Mike and Matt. The presence of the three hottest cheerleaders in the room might have been a factor in that; as was the surreal day when Kurt had joined the football team as a kicker, and after making us dance to _Single Ladies_, had scored a winning goal. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all…"

"Fast forward two years, and I was more committed to the New Directions than I was to the football team, if I'm being honest. Finn and Mike remained, Matt having moved away before junior year. The people in the club were some of my best friends - I had bonded with them all. I admired Artie for his strength in adversity; Rachel and Mercedes for their vocal talents, and Kurt for his sheer bravery in the face of the terrible odds life threw at him. Most importantly of all, I still had my best friend; now, by a quirk of fate, he was also Kurt's stepbrother. Together, they kept me largely on the straight and narrow. They helped me to deal with my worst academic subjects and ensured that we all graduated together, more or less. After that, my life did start to fall apart. I moved to L.A. with big dreams and high hopes. My pool cleaning business was a partial success, but I missed Lima and most of all, I missed my best friend. When my half brother Jake arrived on the scene, it gave me a plausible excuse to abandon my new life and head back home. I enrolled at a local college, and once again, I found myself studying alongside Finn. The world was coming good again. When I heard that Kurt and Blaine had got engaged, I was overjoyed - so much for the old me that was so anti-gay. Then suddenly, without warning, my whole house of cards fell down around me - on the day that Finn died."

"I will never forget that night - the moment that my phone started to ring., the display showing that the caller was Will Schuester. We had all given him our cell numbers in junior year, when we had pledged to stay off alcohol. In retrospect, the fact that he was calling should have worried me - why would my former glee club teacher be phoning me after all, just after midnight? I picked up, and the voice I heard wasn't Mr Schue at all, but Emma, his wife, our guidance counsellor. Burt had called Will after breaking the news to Kurt; he knew that all of the New Directions had to be told, but Carole was in no condition to do it and he had to take care of her. Mr Schue was upset too, and so Emma stepped up - that woman is just so special - and I was the obvious first person to call. I was sitting on my bed at home, and when she said those words, I was so glad that I was. My legs turned to jello, and I could barely breathe. Mrs Schue was so concerned, but I assured her that I was alright. She rang off, to make more calls and shatter more hearts. Me - I just stared at the wall. It was a joke. It couldn't be true. So I drove to Lima Memorial, and found Burt in the corridor of the E.R., with Kurt on the phone telling him what flight he and Rachel would be on. It started to hit home then, but it was only when Burt took me to Carole… It confirmed it for me. I began to sob, and ended up slumped to the floor, leaning on the wall by her chair, wailing my head off."

"My grief quickly began to turn into anger after that. I held it in check as long as I could. I didn't crack as I joined Burt, Will, Kurt, Mike and Sam in carrying his casket. It was a week later when it really hit me. When at a memorial for Finn at McKinley I snapped. I saw Kurt standing there wearing Finn's letterman jacket, and I felt that he had no right to do so, and told him so. He bitched right back at me, so I ran off and ripped up Finn's memorial tree. I was on the edge of getting back into the kind of trouble that I had been in as a youth. My saviour came in the form of my old football coach, Shannon Bieste. She took me aside and made me realise that the way I was behaving was not helping anyone, least of all me. I certainly wasn't honouring the memory of my best friend. She had overheard the tirade that I had directed at Kurt too, and didn't understand how I could behave that way towards someone that was probably as grief stricken as I was. She told me I had to change, grow up and move on with my life. She made a suggestion, and I took it. I was at the recruiting office the following day - within weeks I was in training. Joining the USAF was one of the wisest decisions I have ever made. It gave me the kind of structure that I needed. Allows me to utilise all the skills that I have learned over the years and has taught me new ones. It gave me most importantly a strong sense of self worth. On my next visit to McKinley I apologised to Kurt, who instantly forgave me - he knew that everything I had said or done was because my judgement was affected by my grief. I also made up with Quinn, the one girl that I had ever really loved - to such an extent that we are now officially together. Not long after that, I got a call from Kurt to tell me he was getting married. When he asked me to be his best man, I burst into tears. I was only too happy to accept, knowing full well why I had been asked. Because with Finn gone, he looked on me as his brother. With Finn gone, I also saw Kurt as one of my best friends."


	23. Testimony of Noah Puckerman II

**February 18****th**** 2014: Testimony of Noah Puckerman Part Two**

Puck had paused for a second to take a drink of water. Talking about how happy Kurt had made him by asking him to be his best man still hurt him so deeply. But he owed it to them all to carry on, and so he blinked back the tears and went on.

"Where do I begin with those two boys? I started the ball rolling there after all, ironically by being cruel. I sent Kurt away from an all boys glee rehearsal to 'do something useful' and spy on the Warblers. He went to Dalton Academy, tapped someone at random on the shoulder to ask them what was going on. That someone was Blaine; for Kurt, it was love at first sight, more or less - Blaine took a little longer, but it was the start of everything - and my idea. (And now in an official record, Puck thought happily.) Sure, Klaine, as we called them, had their ups and downs. In the end, they always ended up back together. Blaine was a rock for Kurt in the turbulent world, and vice versa. They both described the other as their one true love. On the day it was announced that gay marriage had been made legal in New York, we were all together at Rachel's. The news made Kurt cry - he had just looked at Blaine, who promptly took him into his arms and said, "That will be us one day." Yes, I happily admit it, hearing them say that made me cry too, just from seeing their tears of joy. I loved those two and their relationship. It was right and special. It was far better than half of those around them. Finn would later on that day confide in me that he couldn't wait for the day that he stood proudly at Kurt's side as he placed a ring on Blaine's finger. He had missed out on that, but at least the rest of us would get to see them marry…"

"Sending that text will haunt me until the day I die. It was a joke, sent solely to wind them up. Not even ten minutes later, Santana is running out of the door with Sam in tow. Because my boys are in trouble. I had no hesitation in running after them, leaving Burt to follow. I prayed to whatever God was listening as I ran - 'Please let them be alright. They are so close to the finish line, so near to achieving their dream. Not now, please, not now.' It seems that it was God's night off. The minute I ran up into that alley…my blood just ran cold. I was only there for moments before Santana sent me back out to stop Rachel running up, but it was long enough. To see the pools of blood, their broken and battered bodies. To see my poor Kurt…that image has been seared into my brain."

"Once I had got to know Kurt better, I began to realise that he was one of the good guys. The only difference between him and me really was that he loved guys, whilst I loved girls. He was a special person; so sweet, so kind, so caring. A true friend. Truth of it is, I think that I was a little bit in love with him. I wasn't able to help him as much as some of the others, largely as a result of my stint in juvie in junior year, but I would do anything I could to defend him. I had my own nickname for him - I called him Princess. Did he like it? I never asked him, and he never said anything one way or the other; but I think if he had objected, he would have told me straight out. That was the thing with Kurt - he wasn't afraid to defend himself. He had courage. That night, it wasn't enough to save him.."

"As I entered the hospital with Santana that night, I was repeating the same thing over and over again in my head - 'Kurt is strong; a fighter. He won't give up now.' Then I heard a scream of despair from the waiting room. I will admit something terrible now. I hoped at that moment that it was for Blaine. It's awful I know, but I think his death would have been easier for me to deal with. I loved him too, but not as much. But then I entered that room and saw the faces in front of me - and I knew, I knew even before Carole nodded sadly. All at once my body just fell apart. My heart was screaming, my mind was melting. I heard a horrific howling noise as I started to fall forward, prevented from hitting the floor face first only by Santana grabbing me. It was only afterwards that I realised that the noise was coming from me. I cried that day like a baby, because it was all so wrong. It wasn't meant to end like this. They had survived so much together - death threats, bullying, public humiliation to start with. Blaine had been beaten up before, had been nearly blinded defending Kurt. They had got past a break up, a school shooting scare, and the death of Finn. It was just so unfair. I lost my faith that night. Some of it has come back since, but it isn't as unshakeable as it used to be. Not now, after that."

"I just felt so useless in the aftermath of events. I was guilty of sending that text - what if that had been the cause? I don't think that I would ever have been able to forgive myself if that had been true. When Blaine stood up and accused me at Kurt's funeral, I just got up and left. Didn't get very far - ended up standing outside in tears, barely able to think. Then Rachel appeared from nowhere, took my hand and talked to me. Burt had come out eventually and taken me into his arms and hugged me, all the time telling me that it wasn't my fault. I can admit now that if he hadn't done that - well, I was moments away from running off and doing something stupid in a gesture of atonement. Something that would have left me lying in the cemetery next to Kurt and Finn."

"My one regret over the whole affair is that I didn't try to do more to help Blaine cope with everything. I had promised Kurt, on the night before his funeral, that I would take care of Blaine for him. After our showdown at the wake, I decided that it would be best if I stayed away from him for a while. I didn't want to make him worse than he already was. So I spent my leave time with Quinn; with my mom and Jake, my half brother. All of them agreed with me that I was doing the right thing in staying away and avoiding the possibility of another brutal confrontation. They were right, of course, but I can't help but wonder - what if I had intervened? It wouldn't have been of any use - I know it. Blaine was so in love with Kurt that a life without him in it held absolutely no attraction. That I think is why he so deliberately drove everyone else away, in a vain attempt to make his death less hurtful to us all. He failed in that. Losing him was as bad as losing Kurt. I lost it all over again when I was told - I tried to stay strong for Quinn, but ended up falling apart too. The way that he had chosen to do it horrified me too. It was guaranteed to be successful though. And then, we found out the truth. Why Finn and Kurt had died, why Blaine had killed himself. And that altered everything."

"I will never understand, no matter how long I live, exactly how anyone could use being exposed as a cheat in a show choir competition as an excuse to commit a cold blooded murder, let alone two and attempting a third. No-one can ever tell me that it was the actions of a sane, rational human being. In the exact second that I was told, I wanted to hunt down Hunter Clarington, and kill him with my bare hands, regardless of the consequences for me. I wasn't the only one who felt like that either. The person that carried out these atrocious crimes has been caught - he has been brought here, before a court of law, to be punished. Justice will prevail. But there is nothing that can be done to fill the void in our lives left by the deaths of those three boys. My heart will ache every day thinking of my best friend, my Princess and his prince. I will still have the nightmares in which I see the horror of that alleyway - and what it meant. The spilling of innocent blood, and the extinguishing of a dream."

As he finished his testimony and awaited the start of the defence's cross examination, Puck looked up into the gallery and straight into the eyes of Quinn. She was looking back at him with pride. Together, they had managed to mask the pain that they both still felt. He had never loved anybody as much as he loved her. And then the defence lawyer asked the question that he had been expecting, and psyching himself up to answer for weeks - "Mr Puckerman, you admit that you sent a final text to Mr Anderson's cell phone. You admit that you felt that it might have caused the death of Kurt Hummel. Do you therefore accept that your actions were a trigger, and that as a result, the death of Mr Hummel is your fault?"

"I was expecting you to ask this, and I have thought about it long and hard. My answer is No, I don't. Yes, I sent the text message, which, according to Blaine, caused Kurt to kiss him, in public, on a busy avenue in the heart of Manhattan. Is that a justification to kill someone - a kiss? I would say that any right minded person would disagree. They were so much in love and their only crime that night was to show it. If the fact that two people expressed their love by kissing each other is a trigger for violence in Hunter, then he needs help. If my text was a trigger, then why was Hunter walking around the streets of New York carrying a baseball bat in the first place? Is that normal behaviour for anyone innocently walking the streets of this city late at night? To be hanging around in a dark alley, with a gang of friends, armed and vicious? They kissed - you don't like it, you don't look. At worst, you voice the fact that you don't like it. You don't batter them to death."

Before Mr Masterton could speak again, Puck continued, "If my text triggered it, isn't it unfortunate that in a city of X million people, Hunter Clarington happened to be standing with his friends, all tooled up and ready to give someone a beating, on the very same avenue that Blaine was going to be walking down? Coincidence, I'm sure. Kurt just happened to be there - now that was an accident - fate. Irony then makes him the one to actually die. Blaine could never have forgiven himself for that. It's why he ended up committing suicide. His overwhelming sense of guilt - something that your client does not seem to have."

Mr Masterton kept trying to push Puck into saying that it was all his fault. Each time, Puck responded in the same way. Eventually, the judge called a halt to the line of questioning. It was redundant and it was going nowhere. All that she could hear was a desperate attempt to pin his client's crime on someone else. She told Puck that he could stand down, and adjourned the court for the day. Puck walked out to the corridor and slumped down on the first chair he could find. He looked up moments later to see Finn standing in front of him, giving him a big thumbs up. That was all it took to set Puck sobbing; the sight of his best friend there, but untouchable. He wished that Finn could walk over and take him into his arms and tell him that it was all going to be ok, but he knew that he couldn't. That broke Puck's heart. He was still sat there sobbing ten minutes later when Quinn finally found him. All she could do was sit down next to him and hold him to her chest as his body racked with aching sobs. At least now, his time in the spotlight was over.


	24. WOHN News 8 - February 18th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 18****th**** 2014**

_In New York, the trial of Hunter Clarington entered its seventh day. The stand was taken today by Airman (First Class) Noah Puckerman. This update from Jacob Ben Israel._

"After the drama of yesterday, when Santana Lopez gave us a graphic account of the moment that she found the body of Kurt Hummel next to that of his injured fiancé, the stand was taken today by Noah Puckerman, of the USAF. He was the high school best friend of Finn Hudson; close to the other two young men that lost their lives in this tragedy - in fact, he is the reason that they even met. His testimony was some of the most measured of the trial so far. What came through most strikingly was the huge amount of love that he had for his friends; his distress at their deaths and the feelings of vengeance that he harboured towards Hunter Clarington."

"The defence team made much of the fact that on the night of Kurt Hummel's death, he sent a text message to Blaine Anderson on Santana Lopez's phone - sent moments before they were attacked. They tried to suggest that this action was the trigger to the subsequent events, implying that had it not be sent, Kurt Hummel would have lived. This is, of course, garbage, and Noah Puckerman made that abundantly clear to the court. The persistence of the defence in pushing this accusation lead to their cross examination being curtailed, and to a reprimand from the judge. The trial continues tomorrow with Miss Rachel Berry, future Broadway star, expected to take the stand…"

* * *

That night, Quinn took Puck out for a quiet meal, just the two of them. He wasn't in the mood to enjoy himself too much, nor did he want to go out and drink - he was afraid if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop. For the others, they all just wanted to get home - Jeff and Sebastian had spent another long day in the witness room; their only source of joy being the knowledge that Fanny Brice would be leaving the next day, and they would be free from having to help her rehearse. Jeff went so far as to tell Nick that if Rachel ever required another understudy, he would audition, as he knew the part word for word now.

On their return home that evening, they found a surprise for Sebastian on the doorstep. He had been waiting there for nearly an hour. The minute that Sebastian saw him, he ran forward and enveloped him in a warm hug. Dave Karofsky was in town, to support him. Neither of them would yet admit it, but the two young men had become very close indeed…


	25. Testimony of Rachel Berry I

**February 19****th**** 2014: Testimony of Rachel Berry Part One**

Day eight of the trial came with no change to the weather. The snow was still banked up in the corners and thick winter coats, hats and scarves were still extremely necessary. As Rachel Berry stood outside the court, she paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. She was in rehearsal for the Broadway stage - all things going to be plan, she would be making her debut in less than a month. She had achieved her dream, but it was tinged with sadness - she was doing it without her biggest cheerleader and critic; her soulmate; and her equally talented male friend. There would be three empty front row seats on opening night - she already had the tickets for Kurt, Finn and Blaine booked. Strict instructions had been given to the box office that they were not to be resold on any condition. With any luck, three angels would be sitting in those spots. Now she had to make a performance unlike any she had made before. No singing or acting was required. The venue small enough that she would not have to project her voice. She was going solo, in the spotlight, on the witness stand.

"Calling Rachel Barbra Berry." As the clerk's voice rang out, Quinn rolled her eyes at the fact that she had actually used her middle name. She and Puck were sitting alongside Sam in the gallery. Burt and Wes were not accompanied by Carole - she had decided to take a day off and had made plans to head to the Met with Mercedes. Artie found himself sitting next to Dave Karofsky, whose presence had instantly attracted the attention of Jacob Ben Israel. Since Kurt's funeral, all of the New Directions had noticed a big shift in Dave's attitude - he was quite upfront and open about his sexuality now, and after last night, it was no secret that he and Sebastian were very good friends. Artie had long ago forgiven him for the years of slushie facials. The two were talking quietly as the court was called to order, and Rachel took the stand.

"From the moment that I saw him in my first week at McKinley High, I wanted to be with Finn Hudson. I also knew that I didn't have much chance. I was a short girl in animal sweaters, with a distinctive nose; he the quarterback, surrounded by a bevy of cheerleaders, not least his attractive blonde girlfriend, Quinn Fabray. If there is one thing about me, it is that I am determined, and when I want something, I go for it. Luck was on my side in my sophomore year - I persuaded Will Schuester to reboot the glee club, and to my delight, Finn was suddenly a part of it too. At last, I had him to myself. That was short-lived, of course, as Quinn and two of her fellow cheerleaders, known to the school as the Unholy Trinity, soon joined up. Then Quinn was pregnant, Finn the father - or was he? Turned out not, and it gave me my chance as he dumped her. That was the beginning of our relationship. Sure, we were on and off more than most celebrity couples. I nearly married him in my senior year, but in the end we both decided that we were too young, and that we had lots of time. As it happens, we actually had less than a year."

"Finn decided to join the army straight out of high school, whilst my life brought me to New York and NYADA. At first I was alone in the city, and I seriously wondered if I had made the right choice. Back in Lima, Blaine was making a decision that would have a major affect on all our lives - he pushed Kurt to follow his dreams, and soon he had joined me. He was my best friend, my biggest critic and my fashion guru. He found us a loft in Bushwick, and got himself an internship at Vogue. In our professional lives, everything was going well - in our personal lives less so. I had made a break from Finn; Blaine and Kurt's relationship had floundered over the distance between them. Both Kurt and Blaine ended up with broken hearts - there was blame on both sides for that. Finn was still around, and we both still loved each other, but we agreed that at that moment in time, it wasn't going to work. Not now that we both needed different things - I had New York, but Finn, he needed the comfort of Lima. Stability after he had been forced to leave the army when he shot himself whilst cleaning his gun." Rachel paused as a small ripple of laughter rang out around the court. She glared at Hunter, who was laughing the hardest and loudest. It ended when the judge banged her gavel and called for order.

"With Finn in Lima, I was all the more glad of Kurt's friendship. He kept me from making mistakes, to the point of staging an intervention at one point - he summoned Santana and Quinn to stop me making one major error. Santana never left - she moved in and also helped me out - she summoned Finn to deal with an issue with my then boyfriend Brody. The fact was that, regardless of whether we were officially a couple or not, Finn still loved and cared for me, and I for him. The same was of course true for Kurt - he and Blaine were hopelessly lost without each other. It had only been a matter of weeks before they were reunited, at first just as best friends. Then they hooked up at a wedding on Valentine's day. Admittedly, I did exactly the same with Finn. We were two pairs of soulmates, unable to function properly without each other. Finn was, and still is, the love of my life. That will never change and he will always be in my heart."

"He had been doing so well - he had decided that he wanted to be a teacher and had gone to a local college. He was coaching the New Directions whilst Mr Schuester was in Washington DC. He had triumphed over adversity, bringing the club back from the brink. He never lost his belief or faith in the power of music. It was something that gave him joy. He had confided in me about Sam's suspicions about the Warblers, and how he was reluctant to pursue it without firm evidence. That of course, ended up coming from Trent Nixon. What else he subsequently found out shocked him to the core, but he refused to go into any great detail with me - all he would say was that it made him shudder just to think about it. Blaine did tell Kurt a lot more - I know because I came home one night to hear the two of them crying on the phone. They mentioned the name's Nick, Jeff and Sebastian - the latter a shock, as he and Kurt had never been friends. But like Finn, Kurt kept his lips sealed on the full details."

"That was the first time that I came home to find Kurt in tears on the phone. The next was worse. That first time I went out and bought a cheesecake, put on a DVD of a musical, what now escapes me, and hugged him to my side for the rest of the night. The next time I walked in…. his eyes were unable to meet mine; his tears were just coursing down his face. Yet, he calmly asked me to sit down next to him, took my hands in his, and said _"Rachel, I need to tell you something. It's very bad news and it affects us both in particular. My dad just called to tell me…"_ I instantly started to think that something had happened to Blaine; that Burt's cancer was back. He stopped me and said no. Then, he told me. I didn't believe it for a second. I had only spoken to Finn the night before. He had told me that he loved me and that he was going to try and come to New York for a weekend very soon. He couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible. Then I looked into Kurt's face, into his glasz eyes and realised that he was broken inside. That was when I knew that he was telling me the truth. I started to cry then and I just couldn't stop. We spent the next few hours on that couch. I didn't stop crying the whole time, as Kurt organised flights, spoke to Blaine, tried to sort things out with his dad. Santana had come home whilst he was telling me and she held me in her arms, her face sad, but no tears. I thought she was almost unaffected, but I know that the moment we left she burst into tears. Because I heard her sobs through the door."

"That whole period still seems so surreal looking back on it. Santana turned out to be a real rock for both myself and Kurt. She held me in her arms and let me cry. She sorted out so much for us in New York once Kurt and I had left - then was there for me the whole time at the funeral. I was glad to be able to call her my friend. Another person who figured a lot at that time was Blaine, of course. He was the one that came to pick us up at the airport - Burt was too busy with Carole - and he never left Kurt's side after that. He was a rock for Kurt to hold on to - he never cried in front of him, at least until our memorial at McKinley for Finn. He burst into tears when I sang. After that, he had apologised to Kurt - he told him that he had nothing to apologise for and told him just to let it all out. Blaine sobbed in his arms for three hours. Finn's death had left a massive hole in all our hearts. He was the love of my life. There will never be anyone else quite like him for me. I have never admitted this to anyone, not even Kurt, but I had his name tattooed over my heart. In retrospect, that should have been one of the happiest times in my life - I had just been offered a lead in a Broadway show. Kurt and Blaine had got engaged after one of the most elaborate proposals I have ever witnessed. Everything was going so well. Finn died, but nothing really changed too much - I just had a new heaviness in my heart. I knew that I had to go on for him. I believed strongly that he would be watching over me, proud of me as I achieved my dreams. Watching over his 'little brother' as he married the love of his life. But that was an assumption that turned out to be untrue…"


	26. Testimony of Rachel Berry II

**February 19****th**** 2014: Testimony of Rachel Berry Part Two**

"When Kurt came home with Blaine on the night of the Gay Pride parade, the two of them were whispering away to each other; there were little smiles and giggling whenever I turned my back. I just thought that they were happy and slightly drunk. They were being unduly secretive too, telling me very little about what they'd seen and done. They headed off to bed pretty early. The next day, the two of them had left the loft before I woke up about 7am. They came barging back in just after ten, by which time I was just about to head out and Santana had just stumbled out of bed. She said "Well?" - Kurt and Blaine smiled at each other, and then Kurt squealed "Got it. The last one!" I was still none the wiser until Blaine said "We're getting married. We've got the licence." And that was when the whirlwind started. From that moment on it was nothing but wedding, wedding, wedding. Everyone was really up for it, even Burt eventually. They had no money, but it didn't matter. They would do as much as they could for themselves. They made their own suits - I still remember their screams of joy when Isabelle Wright, Kurt's boss at Vogue, presented them with a set of patterns. Before I knew what was going on they were making groomsman's suits, grooms maid's dresses. I helped were I could - we all did. Some helped more secretly than others - when they asked the Warblers to be their ushers, Wes immediately suggested that they wear their Dalton uniform. He had heard from me that they were making a lot of stuff already, and didn't want to burden them with any more. It would all have been so beautiful - just the burst of joy we all needed after Finn…."

"They kept me out of the alley. At the time I was desperate to run to them, to try and help them; but from what I've been told since, I'm glad that Santana got Puck to stop me. Because I'd probably just have collapsed in shock and been a nuisance. Puck also made sure that as Kurt was wheeled past, I saw nothing. When I saw Blaine come by, only with Sam - I had to go, had to be there for one of them. I felt so cold when I saw how he looked - so bruised, so small, so helpless. I remember sitting there in that waiting room, praying for them, hoping for good news. Holding Sam's hand when he came back from washing the blood out of his hair. Then the doctor came and broke my heart all over again. In some ways it was so much worse than with Finn - I hadn't shared every single day of my life for nearly a year with him when he died, whereas Kurt was my best friend, my constant. He was so happy to finally be getting married. It was his dream come true. And now that was all gone. All that was left was a handful of physical reminders - the suits, the dresses. As for going back to the loft - the place was so full of memories of Kurt; he had found it, planned the layout, furnished it. He haunted it. I didn't want to be there anymore, but what could I do? I was stuck in the place, unable to escape because of the high rents elsewhere. So I made an agreement with Sam and Santana to stick it out for Blaine's sake, so he had the chance to come back to the place he had been so happy with Kurt. Sam was even prepared to remain there with him permanently if he had to. In the end, that wasn't going to be necessary."

"We had barely got over Kurt's death - his funeral had been awful and then Blaine lost it at the wake, firstly at Puck and then at me. It was understandable - I knew how I had felt after losing Finn, although it wasn't the same. But the more I heard, the more concerned I became. After what he said to Santana I was deeply worried and then came the midnight knock on the door - and Sam was back in Bushwick. He was pale, lost and in tears. When he told me why the next day, when we were alone, I knew that the time had come for professional help. Cooper was doing his best, but maybe that just wasn't enough anymore. The news then came that he was getting better; he had stopped lashing out. We all thought he was over the worst. Each morning, Burt or Carole had been calling me to update me. Then one morning, the call didn't come. Instead, Sam got a text to say that Blaine was on his way to New York. It didn't seem right to me, but I never believed that it would be a blatant lie. When our former teachers arrived instead to break the news - it broke us. I knew that Sam would need the most support - he would feel so guilty, think that he could and should have done more. We all felt exactly the same, and that will haunt us for the remainder of our lives."

"The thing is that Finn, Kurt and Blaine had become so central to all our lives. Finn was the unofficial leader of the New Directions, the link between all the original members, and those that came from the football team and the cheerleading squad. He was Puck's best friend, Quinn's ex, Mike's team-mate. He brought Sam into the club, defended Santana and helped Artie with the occasional mobility issue. He was our big, gentle giant. He loved Kurt and Blaine to death. Ironically, he died because of his belief in the glee club and his desire to make it the same safe haven for the new kids as it had been for us. Kurt was loved by all of us too. He was Mercedes' boo, supported Santana when she was coming out of the closet, was my greatest and most favourite critic. He was Brittany's unicorn - he and Blaine were her dolphins. He was a fashion adviser to all of the girls in the New Directions, and some of the guys too. Everyone wanted to protect him and defend him from harm. The same can be said of the Warblers - he wrapped all of them around his little finger too. He had so many battles in his life - it was so cruel that just when he was finally on the cusp of getting what he had dreamed of for so long, it was all snatched away. I can't even begin to imagine how terrifying his last moments must have been…."

"Then there was Blaine - initially, we all loved him because of how good he was to Kurt - he must have been horrified though, as I think everyone threatened to end him if he ever hurt Kurt. We all came to love him for himself too. He was someone that I wished was straight, because he would have been the perfect boyfriend. He was Sam's best friend and constant source of encouragement. To Tina, he was Blainey Days, her confidant and secret crush. He was just that kind of person. He left Dalton, his safe haven, to be with Kurt, and nearly lost his sight trying to protect him. He stayed on good terms with most of the Warblers - he helped them out when he could too. He pushed for the enquiry into the steroids, and he probably saved some of their lives as a result. He knew at the end of his life that his actions had unleashed a chain of events on us - but he had saved his other friends. His only regret was that in doing so, his sweet, innocent Kurt was unwittingly embroiled, and ended up dead. He never forgave himself for that."

Thus ended Rachel's testimony, her eyes moist, her face downcast. She felt drained, but it was over. The defence had no questions to ask of her. Her evidence was pure sentiment, and had added little new, but it backed up what everyone else had said. The world had lost three good, kind men and was a colder, darker place for it. It had been a dramatic performance - not one that would be reviewed by the _New York Times_, but a bravo performance nonetheless. The judge decided to adjourn the court early, but before doing so announced that there had been a requested to alter the order in which the witnesses would be called. Sebastian had been due to appear next, but now it was to be Cooper, at his own request. This made those in the public gallery glance at each other in some surprise - this was totally out of the blue. He was sure to have a reason though - they all just hoped that it was a good one. Sebastian for his part had not objected to Cooper's request. He was not particularly looking forward to being on the stand. He kept trying to convince himself that it was really no different from standing in front of the other Warblers and singing the lead. You were front and centre there, just as he would be in court. The difference was that in a show choir competition, it was not necessary to bare your soul. He would have to confess his sins to the assembled people - the things that nobody knew - but he hoped that it would justify a lot of his perceived actions around Hunter. That no-one would look at him any differently or be too judgemental. He had to live with his mistakes. He knew one thing though - none of the three angels hated him for it. That was a source of great comfort.

Nick and Jeff had invited him and Dave to join them for dinner at the Heartland Brewery under the Empire State building that evening. Neither Sebastian or Jeff would drink - the other two limited themselves to one each to accompany their meal. This was the first time that Dave had been to New York, and despite having been to the city for numerous visits and having lived in Bushwick for three months, Nick and Jeff hadn't done anything touristy. So after they had finished their meals, Sebastian suggested that it was time to do just that, and he was paying. So it was that on a cold February night, they found themselves on the 86th floor, staring out at the scene below them. They separated, Nick to stand with his arms wrapped around Jeff, looking south towards the buildings of the financial centre, and in the distance, the floodlit Statue of Liberty. A symbol of justice and freedom, and a reminder of what they were fighting for. On the north side, Dave had his arm around Sebastian, pulling the boy close as they looked out at Central Park and the bright lights of Broadway below. He knew that the next few days were going to be tough. That was why he had come, because he liked the Meerkat boy. Really liked. Once all of this was over, he fully intended to let Sebastian know just how much. That he wanted to be with him, if he would have him. He hoped that he would, or it would make his transfer to NYU a bit pointless…"


	27. Testimony of Cooper Part I

**February 20****th**** 2014: Testimony of Cooper Anderson Part One**

The next day marked yet another in the longest cold snap for years. The city was still well below the average temperature, but in the court, things were as busy as ever. Burt, Carole and Wes were sitting together; Sam, Mercedes, Puck and Quinn sat clustered around Artie; and finally, next to Karofsky, sat Mike, Tina, Santana and Nick. Rachel was back at the theatre, Brittany on an early shift at the diner - both Sam and Santana would be heading there later. They had turned out en masse to support Cooper. "No doubt he will have important points to make," Wes had said as they arrived. Moments later, along with Dave and Nick, he wondered why Burt was rolling his eyes, Carole was smiling and everyone else had burst out laughing. Santana had eventually taken pity on the three of them and explained. The trial was a few minutes late in starting and just before proceedings finally began, the door to the gallery opened to revel two familiar faces - Kitty Wilde, dragging Marley Rose behind her. Both girls had come to town for college interviews - neither was scheduled to be at one until late afternoon, and so Kitty had decided that they should come and see some of the trial, just to pass the time. They settled in next to Carole just as the judge arrived.

Some new paperwork had been added to the trial documentation at the last minute, hence the delay. Cooper was brought in and took the stand. The clerk stepped forward and asked "You are Cooper Jay Anderson?"

To everyone's surprise and shock, his answer was "I was, but not any more."

A ripple of sound echoed around the court until the judge banged her gavel to get back order. "Could you please explain that statement. It seemed to me that the question was quite straightforward."

"Your honour, you should have the paperwork. It was added to the case notes this morning," replied Cooper.

The judge went to her file of paperwork, extracted the new sheet and read it. Her face as she did so registered mild amusement rather than shock. She handed it to the clerk, who apologised and then began again. "You are Cooper Jay Hummel-Warbler?"

"Yes, I am. If I might be permitted to explain the reasons for the change, your honour?

The judge nodded and admitted that she was more than curious.

"My relationship with my biological parents was strained even before the events that lead to my younger brother's death. They then proceeded to show a total lack of human compassion towards him when his entire world was falling down around his ears. When he died, they could not even be bothered to attend his funeral as it clashed with a Caribbean holiday. They also refused to contribute towards the cost - they had never accepted his sexuality and had made no secret of their dislike of Kurt. I decided after that to sever all ties to them and have been warmly welcomed into the Hummel family instead. I decided that the time was right to abandon the name Anderson altogether. So I went to the relevant offices and applied to change my name. Hummel in tribute to Kurt, who should have been my brother-in-law. Warbler for the choir that my brother loved. The confirmation arrived yesterday in the post - I had a copy made and brought it in."

There was silence in the court - the lawyers, the jury, even Hunter looked stunned. In the gallery, Burt found that he was crying as he looked down upon the smiling man on the stand. He knew that the boy saw himself as close to a son to him now; had without thinking called him dad at Christmas. He had never expected a gesture like this, but he had to be honest - he loved it. Carole had taken his hand, and she was also smiling. Sam was grinning from ear to ear. His 'big brother' had made a magnificent gesture. They all knew that he now shared the same surname as his married brother. He wondered how Blaine and Kurt would react. Shock, then happiness. He had shown once and for all the depth of his love for them, and his distain for his parents, in a gesture which would never be erased. Then it was time for Cooper to start giving his evidence to the court.

"My parents were never the best. They had set ideas and ways they thought that things should function. It wasn't always that way believe me, but after mom started to go to work with dad, after he took over the running of the business from his father, things got worse. Blaine was 7 years younger than me, and I left him alone with them at the age of 12 when I went off to pursue my acting dreams in L.A. The next summer, I came home, and it was whilst I was there that Blaine came out one evening. I think that my parents would have reacted better if I had told them that I had got my big break starring in gay for pay porn. From that moment on, no matter how well he did at school, no matter what he achieved, it wasn't enough. He was gay, and that was a massive flaw. My wanting to be an actor was at least tempered by my heterosexuality. Being normal, unlike Blaine."

"The following year, I didn't go home - I had been offered a small part in a film alongside some big names, but it meant staying in L.A. all summer. I could tell when I spoke to him that Blaine was so sad that his one ally - because to me he was still Squirt, my Blainers, regardless of his sexual orientation - wasn't going to be there to support him. That was the summer that my father forced him to stay at home and help him to rebuild a car. He hoped that getting Blaine to undertake a manly task would straighten him out. It didn't, and never would have - in any case, one of the best mechanics I ever met was Kurt Hummel. Burt taught him well. Then came the day that I received a call from my parents' housekeeper, to let me know that Blaine was in hospital - he had been beaten up at a Sadie Hawkins dance; was in a bad way. I was straight home on the next flight; rushed to the hospital to find Blaine, heavily sedated and alone. My parents had visited, but could not spare the time to stay due to an important business deal. I seriously considered, at that point, going to court to get a custody order for Blaine. I had very little money - my acting career was slow to take off, and I was bartending just to pay the rent, but I would have taken him back to L.A. with me and taken care of him. In the end my parents told me that they were going to send him to Dalton Academy, and I selfishly gave up on the idea and flew back west. In a way, I'm glad I didn't take him away. If I had, he wouldn't have been in Ohio to meet the love of his life - Kurt."

"I first heard the name Kurt Hummel mentioned a little over three years ago. Blaine and I were talking on the phone - something that didn't happen often enough in those days. I was quite selfish and caught up in my own world. I didn't think about him and I will regret until the day I die that I wasted so much time that I could have spent with him. Sorry, I digress. I had called him for Thanksgiving, and after the usual preliminaries, I asked him how school was. He told me about being the Warblers' lead soloist, about his friends - Wes, David, Thad, Trent, Nick and Jeff - and about the new boy that was coming. A boy who was also coming to escape bullying at a public school. That had turned up at Dalton one afternoon, tapped him on the shoulder and asked what was going on. Turned out he was a spy from a rival glee club; but Blaine saw that he needed help. Blaine knew what he was going through, and was always so ashamed that he had let his bullies drive him out. So he gave Kurt some advice - and his phone number. Turned out that his advice wasn't that great - things escalated and Kurt needed an escape. He would find that at Dalton. After that, every time I called, he was mentioned - his voice, a countertenor; his fashion skills; his wit and wisdom; how comforting he was when Blaine made an ass of himself on Valentines Day. Even I, in L.A. could see where this was heading. I had found photos of the Warblers on line, and had spotted Kurt - right beside my brother in every one. I knew what to expect, and sure enough…"

"My phone rang in the early afternoon. Now normally, when I am working, I would just let the call go to voicemail. Then I saw it was Blaine - I had a few moments to spare, so I picked up. To hear my brother, breathless and more excited than I had heard him for a long time. Telling me that he had finally had the courage to kiss Kurt and he had kissed back. He went into a long description of it; how his mind had exploded in bright colours as his lips met Kurt's for the first time. How that awkward first had been followed by a second, third, fourth - so many in fact that Thad had appeared to tell them that Wes was going mad looking for them. Once he had been told by an overjoyed Thad what they had been doing, he calmed right down, and started whooping for joy. Turns out that I wasn't the only one that had anticipated the outcome. The Warblers had even had bets on exactly how much longer it was going to take them. If I recall, I think Trent Nixon won. They all got so pre-occupied that they ended up losing in their show choir regionals. But it didn't matter to any of them. Blaine had Kurt, and was so happy. From speaking to Burt, to Puck, I know that Kurt was the same. It was the great romance. They loved each other, completed each other. They would survive Kurt going back to McKinley, and his crowning as Prom Queen. They were meant for each other. It was this love that lead Blaine to make a momentous decision - to leave the safety of Dalton and return to public school, at McKinley, with Kurt."

"That year contained highs and lows for my brother. He was nearly blinded trying to save Kurt from an attack by someone who was jealous of what they had. They had fallings out, but every couple does. The important thing was that they always reconciled - talked things through and came out the other side stronger. They also took their relationship to the next level - as Blaine told me in an E-Mail, they allowed hands to go south of the equator. That was also the year when I finally got to meet Kurt. I took the time to come home and actually see my brother - we had hit a rocky patch in relations and a face to face visit was long overdue. Kurt adored me at once. He was a fan of my advertisements. Blaine and I, we had issues. It was Kurt that encouraged both of us to deal with them and we parted on better terms. After that, I made a point of coming home more often; took to using Skype and ended up close to both of them. Their love was so refreshing; the attitude of Burt to Blaine also made me happy. Finally, he had a father figure to look up to and respect. There was, of course, a looming issue. Kurt was a senior, Blaine a junior. My brother was going to be left behind. That would have a major effect on things."

"The events of my brother's senior year were not great. He encouraged Kurt to go to New York and pursue his dreams - to escape from Lima, Ohio, to a place were he could be freer. Kurt had resigned himself to a year working in a coffee shop, but in the end, he took Blaine's advice - and things went wrong. Kurt got caught up in his new life and had so little time for my brother. He in turn felt isolated, cut off and unwanted at McKinley. One night things came to a head and a mistake was made. It tore them apart, and at first, it seemed unfixable. Kurt cried in New York, my brother in Ohio. He considered returning to Dalton Academy. It would have been easy, as my parents were never about. They had left Westerville for a suburb of Cleveland at the end of Blaine's sophomore year - he was in the care of our housekeeper, Megan McKenzie. It was to her that Blaine went when he wanted to leave Dalton for McKinley. The cheques for the Dalton fees still came, every cent being paid into Blaine's bank account. It was a deception that they only found out about when Blaine died. There were a lot of things they didn't know…"

"Anyway, to return to the point, the money was there to start paying his fees again. In the end, it was his other friends - Sam, Tina, Artie and Brittany, along with the newer members of New Directions, that convinced him to stay. That was a good thing, because it kept him away from the steroids. Would he have taken them if he had ended up back at Dalton? I doubt it in some ways, as he was always ruled by conscience. He could not do something wrong and then flatly deny it. He just couldn't, simple as that - not his style. But at the same time he had such a desire to win, to triumph. Just maybe he would have seen them as a necessary evil to ensure that his team, the Warblers, won. With so many of his friends taking them for their own reasons, he might have been dragged in. Trent would have been pivotal - either he would have stopped Blaine, or Blaine would have pulled him in. It's all hypothetical anyway."

"The love between my brother and Kurt was too strong for things just to end. After a period of silence and reflection, they began to regroup. They were talking again by Thanksgiving, pulled back together by the brilliance of Burt Hummel at Christmas. They needed each other as friends if nothing else. They had needed space to move on. Kurt was finally off to NYADA after a second chance audition. Blaine had bigger issues - facing his demons by going to a Sadie Hawkins dance, albeit with a girl, Tina. He also had to deal with Sam's suspicions about his old friends, the Warblers. I was never told the full ins and outs, but I do know that it involved Trent turning whistleblower. The Warblers were forced out in disgrace. When Blaine told me he didn't crow, and was reluctant to celebrate. He felt that he had betrayed his old friends, his old choir by making the exposure so public. He would like to have imagined that a discrete word would have been enough to get them to be sporting. His old friends Nick, Jeff, even Sebastian might have been. Hunter was given that opportunity by Finn. Now that will come as a shock to some, but Blaine swore me to secrecy at the time. Finn made a direct approach to Hunter, giving him the option of just withdrawing before exposure. You can guess what his answer was. If Blaine had known where things would go after that, he would probably have done anything he could have done to dampen Sam's suspicions."


	28. Testimony of Cooper Part II

**February 20****th**** 2014: Testimony of Cooper Hummel-Warbler Part Two**

"I knew that Blaine was intending to ask Kurt to marry him. He had called me, nearly in tears, because Burt had said that it was too soon, that Sam was against it. I had my reservations as well - they weren't even a couple at that time, but something told me that he would just go ahead anyway. So I gave him my backing and told him to go for it, wishing him luck. The next call was to tell me that he and Kurt were back together, and that he was going to propose as soon as possible. I saw the whole thing on Youtube - he couldn't have made it more elaborate if he had tried. It was perfect, and so was Kurt's answer. I was now looking at my future brother-in-law. I was calling Kurt on Skype too by that point and keeping up with events in his life. I knew that he was going to be as big a star as my brother, and that both of them were going to be bigger than me. They just had so much talent. I saw them both in person at Blaine's graduation - Kurt and I had kept that one quiet between us, and it made Blaine so happy. Then my brother left Ohio, to live with Kurt in Bushwick. Just a few weeks later the two of them called me up on Skype, very early L.A. time. I was half asleep, but when they pulled out the marriage licence, that woke me up! When they told me to arrange to be in New York at the end of September, I cancelled everything. We made plans for them to come back to L.A. with me for a week after the wedding, as a honeymoon. Blaine kept dropping hints at me that he had a massive wedding present for Kurt that would blow his mind. He eventually told me what it was two days before the wedding. I knew that Kurt did not like lies and secrets, but I was certain he would forgive him when he saw the new loft Blaine had bought for them. I told him that night that I loved him, he told me the same. That was the last time I would speak to the 'old' Blaine."

"I should have left for New York earlier - I had planned to, but I left things to the last minute, didn't allow for the traffic and just missed check in. My cell battery died on me on top of everything else. So it was that I was three hours later than planned arriving in New York - to make things worse, my alternative flight had come into Newark, there had been delays with the trains and then I couldn't get a cab at Penn station. It all added around 35 minutes to my delay. When I got to the diner, the lights were on, and I dashed in ready to beg my brother and his fiancé for forgiveness. But there was only one person there - Brittany Pierce. Sat all alone with such a sad look on her face. She told me that she had been waiting for me - that everyone had been trying to get hold of me - as she said it I realised that as I had boarded the sky train at Newark, I had just heard a PA asking for Cooper Anderson… Then she said those words - _'because Kurt and Blaine have been hurt.'_ Little words that froze the blood in my veins - I can remember Megan using the exact same words after the Sadie Hawkins dance, about Blaine and his date Peter. It was funny how much easier it was to get a cab the second time."

"I walked into hell on earth - their friends crying their eyes out in a corridor. I realised just how bad it was when I saw Wes Montgomery, the strong leader of the Warblers, crying like a baby in the arms of his friends. I thought that it must have been Blaine that had died at first, but then Sue Sylvester took me to one side, and told me that Kurt was gone. That Blaine was badly hurt, alive - but had just been told about Kurt. I got the feeling at that moment that it would have been so much better if Blaine had died too. It's a horrible thing to admit, but I knew then that the loss of his one love would destroy him. Suddenly, Brittany was pulling me away, in the direction of my brother's room. I was scared of entering that room. I knew that Blaine would be in pain, injured both physically and mentally. I didn't know if I was strong enough to deal with it."

"We collided with Emma Schuester and Santana Lopez on the threshold - they were on their way out. Emma was hurting, but she is a counsellor - trained to stay calm and unemotional in a crisis. She had a sobbing Santana in her arms. Now our Santana is known to be, to be blunt, a bit of a bitch. She used to call my brother the Hobbit on the grounds that he was fairly short and had curly hair. Turns out that she did it because deep down, she cared for him, as she did for Kurt. There was a swap over - Emma took me by the arm, and Brittany put her arms around Santana and lead her away. I would never have expected Brittany to be the calm, unflustered one in the situation. She always seemed to be - how can I put this? - the more emotional. Then I was being taken quietly into my brother's room by Emma. What I saw and heard broke my heart. There was Sam on the bed next to my little Blainers, holding him tightly as he sobbed his heart out, each cry more pitiful than the last. I wanted to help him; to reach out and hold him, and tell him that everything would be ok one day. So I went to touch his hair, as I had always done when he was younger. Big mistake."

"He growled at me - pulled away from Sam and demanded that I get out. Told me that Kurt's death was my fault. If I had been on time it would have been me walking him to the hotel, not Kurt. Might well have been me that got attacked instead as a result, from what we know now, but at the time everyone thought it was just a random homophobic attack. It still hurt so much to hear him say it, because I knew he had a point. It was partly my fault. So I let Emma lead me out again. She didn't get me far. We were no sooner in the corridor than I collapsed in as many tears as Blaine was crying in the room. She sat with me, held me, let me howl. She's a saint. She'd probably be here with us in court now, ready to distribute comfort to those of us that loved those boys, but she is due to give birth any day now. So, we sat there for at least half an hour. Then we realised that the noise from inside the room had stopped. The painkillers and sedatives had sent my brother off to sleep. So I let Sam go, and took my place by my brother's bed. Took his hand and held it. Not much in the face of all he had lost, but what else could I do but be there?"

"I had to wake him the next morning - he was thrashing about in his sleep, screaming out to someone to stop, to leave Kurt alone. It took so long, but eventually his eyes shot open. I braced myself for a backlash, for hatred. Instead all he said was _"Please Coop, tell me it was all a nightmare." _When I couldn't he just burst into tears again, and this time it was me that held him, let his tears dampen the front of my shirt. That was my life for the next few days, punctuated by his friends popping in to give me a break to eat, to wash, to sit and cry for them both in the hospital canteen. I never cried in front of Blaine. After the first day, he pretty much stopped crying too. In retrospect, that should have given me cause for concern. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but pretty pointless in its way. My task at that time was getting Blaine into a fit enough state to travel back to Ohio for Kurt's funeral."

"It took a week. The funeral was exactly a week after what should have been their wedding day. I got him back in time to see Kurt in his casket. He cried then; the shock of seeing him that one last time, but it was his choice. He cried at the funeral - most of us did - and at the graveside. I think that if he could have got away with throwing himself into the grave with Kurt, he would have done so. Might have been better, as my brother had changed. I could see him disintegrating before my very eyes. I should not have let him speak at the wake, but then again, how could I have stopped him? The words that fell out of his mouth were so full of anger, of spite - almost pure bile. He was lashing out as he had at me that first night. His new list of targets was much wider - he started on Puck and Rachel. The next day, Tina and Mike; the day after it was the turn of poor Emma. She was the first person to actually tell me that he needed professional help. She was right, and the first signs of increasing insanity would manifest themselves the following day."

"It arrived the next morning. A toy unicorn with big blue eyes. A gift to my aching brother from Brittany. At first he was so angry to get it - then when he realised who must have sent it, he calmed down. He called it Kurt - the blue eyes you see. After falling out with Santana on Skype, I walked past his room and heard him talking to Kurt Unicorn. That became quite common - he felt that he could complain, moan and wail to the toy as it wouldn't judge him or advise him, like we humans. Did this calm him down? No - the next day I left him in the care of Sam for less than an hour whilst I went grocery shopping. Came back to find Sam outside, scared stiff and in floods of tears, and Blaine trashing his bedroom. By then things had got so bad that I felt I was losing my mind. I was about to break, so I resorted to something which made me ashamed then, and still does now. I gave him sleeping powders. It gave me peace of mind, but locked him into the world of his nightmares."

"When the revelation finally came about Hunter's involvement, I had managed to get some of the 'old' Blaine back. He had found out about the Ambien, but he accepted why I was doing it - in the end, he asked for it. Then the truth emerged, and we ended up having another massive row. He drove off to see Burt - I sat and waited for him on the couch, but I was exhausted, and ended up falling asleep. I woke up at about five the next morning, stumbled into the hall and thought that I was seeing a ghost. Blaine had always been so conscientious in his appearance. Always the well turned out, dapper young man. After Kurt's death, he had become scruffier and scruffier - ill fitting clothes, unshaven, unkempt. Now in front of me was my perfectly groomed brother. He spun me a line about going back to the Hummel's to see Carole. I fell for it in my groggy state and asked him if he wanted coffee. He said yes - then told me that he loved me. That was the last time I saw him alive."

"Finding him gone, the notes neatly placed on his bed for me to find and deal with, was a horrible shock. I was his brother and should have been able to sense what was coming. His letter to me I carry around in my wallet even now. He wrote that it wasn't my fault, that I was the best brother in the world. That morning it didn't feel like it and even now I wake up sometimes and think 'Could I have done more? Saved his life.' Which in all honesty, I could not have done. As he himself said, there was only one thing he really wanted and needed and that was the one thing that nobody could give him. Kurt. I don't know if the original plan was to kill my brother in that alley after he had heard the love of his life being beaten to death, but I guess that it was. I wish sometimes that whatever stopped that happening hadn't taken place. Because my brother suffered so much in those two weeks. It broke his heart, his soul and his mind."

"We looked for Blaine that morning. Driving around, looking for his car in all those places we felt might be significant. Was it some kind of collective amnesia that made us omit the cemetery? We will never know and I very much doubt that it would have made any difference to the outcome - just delayed the inevitable. Why did he do it? That's simple - he blamed himself for Kurt and Finn's deaths; for dragging the New Directions into a war with the Warblers. I think he felt that if he hadn't been around, had never gone to McKinley but stayed at Dalton, then the situation he was in would not have arisen. That Finn would have been safe at college; Kurt safe at NYADA. Maybe he could even have stopped the steroid scandal. Guilt is a terrible emotion; it makes us do things that are irrational. It certainly did in the case of Blaine, and almost did it to me. In my case though, someone stopped me in time…"

"I still see him lying there, on Kurt's grave, in my dreams. He looked so peaceful and so happy, but too pale and far too still. I was spared the worst because I was the last to arrive. Story of my life that one - but I was lucky. Didn't actually have to see him do it, unlike Sue Sylvester. Didn't have to see the bloody mess where the back of his skull should have been because they pulled him up so that he faced upwards. Closed his eyes so that I was spared seeing how dull they had become. His smile they could not alter - oh, how broad that smile. It still broke me to see him there. I just felt like life was worthless at that moment. I had failed my little brother yet again. He, the one with all the promise and future, was dead, and I was alive. I did not deserve to live. I wanted to be with him so very much at that moment, and the gun, fully loaded, was just lying there…. The only reason that I am here today is because Burt and Sue stopped me doing the same as Blaine. At the time, I resented them for that. Now, I am grateful, because it means that I can stand here and tell you this. That I can honour the memory of those three boys by making a difference. I'm no longer Cooper Anderson - the conceited, smug, self-centred, bit part playing L.A. actor. I am C. J. Hummel-Warbler, a New York dwelling, currently out of work actor, who devotes his time to charity and helping others. That is my brother's legacy. He changed me into a better man. I just wish that he was still around to see it."

As Cooper's eyes began to tear up, the judge adjourned the court for a late lunch break. In the gallery, Sam sat in shock. He had been alright until he had been reminded that Cooper had contemplated suicide. That had made him cry; Puck had placed an arm around him, Mercedes had passed him tissues. He had heard the gasp of shock from some of the others in the gallery - he had kept Cooper's secret, just as he had stayed silent about his own suicidal thoughts in the wake of Blaine's death. He knew one thing - that Cooper would need his new 'little brother' that night. The trial was reawakening the past for all of them.


	29. Cross Examination of Cooper

**February 20****th**** 2014: Cross Examination of Cooper Hummel-Warbler**

Lunch for everyone that day was hurried - the judge had restricted it in length so that the defence could begin to question Cooper. Sam and Santana dashed off to work, the former asking Burt to bring Cooper to the diner later so that they could talk. Marley and Kitty headed off to their college interviews - Marley at NYADA, Kitty at NYU, but not before they had arranged to meet up with the others later. They had both been visibly affected by hearing things over again, Kitty more so than Marley. Artie had been close enough to pass her tissues, and whisper words of comfort to her. It was thus a smaller group that returned to the gallery to hear the defences challenge to Cooper, fully expecting, as Santana put it, for it all to be Cooper's fault this time.

"Might I first say that in all my time working in the legal profession, this is the first time that I have ever heard of a key witness changing their name during the course of a trial. I would like it placed on record that in my opinion, such personal indulgences should have been left until after the trial. But I digress - Mr Hummel-Warbler, would it be true to say that your brother was not the saint everyone has been portraying him as?"

"Who is - I know that I certainly am not."

"It is just that I find it strange how so far everyone has failed to mention the reason why your brother and Kurt Hummel split up in 2012..."

"Possibly that is because it is irrelevant to the case."

"Your brother cheating on Kurt Hummel is irrelevant. You are probably right, but it does illustrate that he was not the perfect gentleman you all claim."

"No-one said he was - he believed in honesty, truth and sportsmanship, which is more than Hunter ever showed."

"By breaking into Dalton Academy, in a superhero suit, accompanied by Mr Evans?"

"To get back the Nationals trophy stolen from McKinley High by one of Hunter's minions, when talking to Blaine failed. Apparently, Hunter was so desperate to get Blaine back in the Warblers, that he had to resort to theft. That is what he said to my brother, as he sat like some Bond villain, stroking his cat."

"Now, if your brother had returned…"

"Let me guess. There would have been no use of steroids, everything would have been played fair and square. Finn, Kurt and Blaine all still alive and living in a utopia. No. I think Blaine would have ended up on steroids too - and made it even more likely that Sam would have spotted it. Trent would still have stuck to his principles. The whole course of events would still have taken place - the only difference being that Blaine would have been on the opposite side. The only possible difference might be that Sam would have ended up dead instead of Kurt. Artie might have been the one Sam talked to, and he might be dead too. The fact is, your client was the one that got the Warblers hooked on drugs. It was noticed and an intervention was made. The rule book was there for all to see. The Warblers got in trouble because they broke the rules. Nobody made them do that but Hunter, with assistance from his uncle. To try and pass the blame to anyone else is wrong, and to be blunt, quite offensive to any right minded person. He betrayed himself by his own behaviour; the film of his 'roid rage' at the Lima Bean coffee shop being the prime example. The evidence was out there for everyone to see - it just so happens that the person that pushed this evidence into the eyes of the governing body was Blaine with Sam and Finn."

"One more point. You were late in arriving in New York on the night of your brother's pre-wedding party."

"As I said, I admit that freely and accept it."

"Do you think that if you had arrived at your scheduled time, then you might have been able to save the life of Kurt Hummel?"

"Honestly, no, I don't. I'm quite convinced that Hunter was waiting for Blaine; was quite likely delighted when Kurt appeared with him. He got to hurt Blaine more that way. Show him graphically what the consequences of crossing Hunter Clarington were."

"And if you had been on time?"

"Maybe I might have been attacked instead, but who knows? Maybe he would have gone after Kurt anyway; or maybe he knew only too well that if he lost my brother, then Kurt would swiftly fall apart and follow after. It is all hearsay in any case. My brother did start the investigation process, but he cannot be held accountable for the subsequent actions of Hunter Clarington."

As with Puck, Cooper stood firm to the barrage of questions, all trying to find something that could be used to shift the blame from Hunter to someone else. Nothing worked for them. Cooper had been riled that the fact that Blaine had cheated had been brought into the trial evidence, and he was not going to stand there and let his brother's memory be besmirched by one momentary lapse of judgement. In the end, the defence team gave up, and the judge ended the trial for the day. Cooper was waiting in the corridor when they filed out of the public gallery - Burt went and hugged him, then made his day by telling him to call him dad now that they shared a surname. He felt physically and emotionally drained, but he agreed to got to the Spotlight Diner with everyone else. True to their promise, Marley and Kitty joined them, both of them pleased with how their interviews had gone. As they all sat and caught up, the trial was forgotten for a short while. The conversation moved on to happier topics; Artie took his chance to have his long awaited heart to heart with Kitty. They come to an understanding that once they were both in New York, they would try dating again. It was more than Artie could have hoped for, and he crossed his fingers that Kitty's interview would be successful.

That night did bring an unexpected visitor. As Sam was singing _You can leave your hat on _at the request of a group of women at one table, demonstrating the moves he had learned in his stint as White Chocolate in Kentucky, a slight, dark haired young woman entered, looked around, and then made her way over to stand behind Nick. He turned around, jumped up and embraced her, earning a few shocked, but curious glances. "Guys, this is my big sister, Grace. She's in town for an interview with a hot shot legal team near Wall Street. I didn't mention it before as we've all been kinda busy…" By now, Jeff had his arms wrapped around her, and she was smiling broadly. Across the table, all Cooper could think was that an angel had just walked into the room. This was a young woman that he would like to get to know…

* * *

There was one person missing from the crowd at the Spotlight Diner. Sebastian had declined the invitation, preferring to sit at home alone, deep in thought. It would be his turn in the spotlight the next day, and he was scared. Not that he would ever admit that to a living soul. Wes had worked it out, and he had offered to stay with him, but he just craved solitude. He sat curled up in a ball on his bed, his mind running through all that the next day could bring. There were many things that he would disclose the next day that nobody knew, except Hunter. The secrets that had been used against him, to bring him in line with the scheme for the Warblers. He knew that if his past had been different, then he could not have been forced to back Hunter, and plunge the Warblers into disrepute. That had lead to this whole sorry mess - to death, heartache and pain. He was also certain that if the defence lawyer asked him if he was to blame, then he would say yes without hesitation. In his own opinion, it was only the fact that he had got the evidence that Hunter was guilty that stopped him from being in the dock too.

"You do realise that that is a load of nonsense." The sudden voice in the room startled Sebastian. He looked up to see Kurt standing there, his arms folded and his best bitch glare on his face.

"Yeah, really stupid, Seb." He realised that Blaine had also now appeared in the room.

"So, Meerkat, you really feel that you are responsible for our deaths because you made mistakes in the past, and the evil low life that is Hunter Clarington found out about it? I always had you down as smarter than that. Ok, so you are guilty of fear - if you had come clean and admitted everything, then he wouldn't have been able to succeed so easily, but trust me, he had a plan B. For example, get rid of you, Nick, Jeff and Trent, the last of Wes' old guard. Manipulate the younger, more impressionable boys left. Sam would still have noticed - and I'm sure that my husband here would have noticed all four of you missing far sooner than just Trent. What I am trying to say here is that it would still have happened, regardless of what you did. It might have been worse - if the four of you had made the witness statement, not just Trent, you could all have been high up on his revenge list."

Blaine then took over from Kurt. "Seb, if it hadn't been for you coming to see me that day, then it might not just have been me that died that week. He could have gone after Sam and his family. Or Cooper. You saved everyone else. That's why when you come clean tomorrow, no-one is going to make judgements on you based on the events of your past. It's history - over with. What matters is the here and now. You are liked and trusted by everyone these days - yeah, it's a shock to me too. Nick and Jeff love having you as a roommate. Santana is secretly looking forward to teaming up with you as the biggest bitches at NYADA. And as for a certain Dave Karofsky - well, you know how much he likes you…"

"I know and I like him. It's just that until he hears the whole sorry story tomorrow, I don't want to get my hopes up."

"Well," said Kurt, "I never thought I would see the day when Sebastian Smythe was worried about the opinion of one guy. You and Dave work though, and he have something to say to you tomorrow too. Now, time for us to go, and time for you to get to sleep." With that, Kurt and Blaine bid him goodnight, and Sebastian headed off to prepare for bed. He had a long day ahead of him…


	30. WOHN News 8 - February 20th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 20****th**** 2014**

_Dramatic developments today in the trial of Hunter Clarington in New York. Our reporter in court, Jacob Ben Israel, brings us the latest._

"Day nine of the Clarington trial, and today the brother of Blaine Anderson took the stand - and from the start, there was shock. Because he is no longer Cooper Anderson. He is now Cooper Jay Hummel-Warbler - CJ to his friends and those who may wish to cast him. The news came as a complete shock - his use of the name Hummel reduced Congressman Burt Hummel to tears. This is further proof, if it was needed, of the rift between local businessman Jonathan Anderson and his son. The two have been estranged since the death of Blaine, and now Cooper has gone so far as to reject the family name. No surprise at all to those who are aware of the court battle in which Cooper was awarded his share of a family trust fund that his father had concealed from both his boys. Blaine's share, which is understood to be in the millions of dollars, has been used by the new Mr Hummel-Warbler to found a memorial scholarship at NYADA, the prestigious New York arts school that Blaine had just begun to attend at the time of his death. Listening to the evidence, it became clear that the Anderson parents washed their hands of Blaine after the death of Kurt - Cooper was left to deal alone with the trauma that his brother was suffering. Such was the pain that they both endured that it left them both on the brink of despair. Most startling of all was the revelation that Cooper was only prevented from following his brother in suicide by the timely intervention of Burt Hummel and our own Sue Sylvester."

"Yet again, Clarington's lawyer tried to move the blame for his crimes to someone else: in this instance, he tried to suggest that Mr Hummel-Warbler's late arrival in New York on the night of Kurt Hummel's murder was the reason that the latter died, a claim that was once again, strongly denied. Tomorrow, the stand goes to Sebastian Smythe, the former lead vocalist of the Warblers. Once again, the testimony should be powerful."

At the end of that evening's bulletin, Sue Sylvester appeared for a special edition of Sue's Corner. "In late September last year, I was in Lima Cemetery three times too often - the first and last to attend the burial of a young man who had died too soon; but the second, well that is the one that is all too vivid in my memory even now. I'm not going to sit her and say that Blaine Anderson was my favourite student; we had our differences, we had all out war - I might even have had his hair gel substituted for rubber cement on one occasion. But he was a cheerful young man, who, in the main, made Kurt Hummel, my Porcelain, happy. To witness the devastation of his being after Kurt died was heartbreaking. His spark went, his soul changed - he was not the young man he used to be. I was asked to join a search party for him in the early hours of that fateful day, and in the end, I found him. Still alive, but by the time I got there, with the barrel of a gun in his mouth. What I saw next will never leave me. Could I have saved him if I had arrived minutes earlier? No, he would still have done it, just at another time. Hunter Clarington broke that boy - he deserves to be punished in the way we all have been - by losing something important. In this case, his freedom. And that is how Sue sees it…"

_A shorter update this time, I'm afraid. Next up, Sebastian Smythe - and from here on, the story darkens, as the whole story of Hunter's time at Dalton begins to emerge... __Thanks for reading._


	31. Testimony of Sebastian Smythe Part I

_Sebastian takes the stand - and that's why this is definitely rated M..._

**February 21st**** 2014: Testimony of Sebastian Smythe Part One**

Another cold winter Friday in New York dawned. The sky was leaden, clouds filled with the threat of snow. In his room at Bushwick, Sebastian stood in front of the mirror, staring at the smartly dressed young man in front of him. His usual cocky expression was gone, his face instead marked with fear. He suddenly realised that someone was now standing next to him, a similar doleful expression on his face.

"Go and give him hell, Bas, for all of us," said Jeff, before pulling him into a hug. "I know that you are scared. You have to be, because I am petrified. We both have our secrets, and they are about to be revealed to the world. I just want you to know that regardless of what yours are, you will still have me as a friend. Mainly because after my turn, I might only have you as a friend too."

Sebastian laughed at that, but briefly. He could tell from the look in Jeff's eyes that he was all too afraid that that might be true. "It's a deal, blondie. So tonight, you, me, Nick and whoever else are hitting the town - a certain club… because I will need to get out and have a bit of fun - and you will need it before it is your turn."

"Deal, Bas. I could do with a laugh, and so could Nick. But first, we need to get you to court…"

The public gallery was once again pretty full - without exception, everyone that had been there the day before had returned, but had been joined by Cooper, now freed from the witness room. To everyone's delight, Flint and Beats had returned from Princeton. Marley and Kitty were still in town and had returned - as Kitty put it, it was like a drama serial on television - you felt compelled to see every episode. Finally, Grace Duval had appeared - as chance would have it, the only empty seat was next to Cooper, whose expression turned from frowning to delight when he saw her. Burt and Carole exchanged a knowing glance - even Santana smiled at his sudden goofy face.

The court came to order. "Calling Sebastian Guillaume Smythe." 'So that is what the G stands for,' thought Nick. His friend made his way onto the stand, deliberately avoiding making eye contact with Hunter. He took the oath and began.

"I guess that I have to start with events that took place long before those that we are dealing with here - before I even met Finn, Kurt or Blaine. My mother is French - she had met my father on a visit to the States - they had a whirlwind romance, married and a year or so later, along I came. By the time that I was in my freshman year at Dalton, they had lost the love that had brought them together in the first place. My mother decided to return home to Paris - my father was working every hour that God sent. It was decided that it was for the best if I went to live with my mother - so it was goodbye Dalton and hello Paris. I knew that I was gay by that time - and I also knew that I liked sex. I lived for it, in fact. I was in a sexual relationship with two other boys at Dalton Academy when I was taken away. When I arrived in Paris, I was full of resentment. That didn't last once I discovered that the French attitude to sex was far more liberal than it was in straight laced Ohio. That I could also pass for much older than I was. And that I would be more than welcome in some of the seediest joints in town."

In the public gallery, no-one was really surprised. They all knew that he had been a bit of a player - had been until Hunter came along. Since then, he had calmed right down. On the stand, he carried on his tale. "My mother was, ironically, working almost as many hours a day as my father to support us. If they had had any common sense, they would have let me stay at Dalton, and just shared me during the holidays. Instead, I became a latch key child in Paris. By day, I attended one of the finest and most respected boys schools in the city - by night, I roamed the streets of the Marais. I had a fake I.D. in the name Guillaume Smythe - I looked old enough, and at that time, you could buy alcohol at the age of 16. I went from bar to bar, getting a taste for good wine, for Pernod and Pastis. I rarely had to pay for more than my first drink. It was all very vanilla at first - for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, that means dull and uninteresting, normal. Then one night, I was adopted by a trio of cute French college students. I portrayed myself as a naive boy. It's a laugh really - I had probably done more than any of them. They asked if I'd like to come somewhere more exciting with them. I said yes, and that is how I ended up in the place that would become my regular haunt…"

"My first concern as I walked with them to the club was if I was dressed correctly. I asked as much, but I was quickly told that although there was a dress code at the venue in question, I would be ok. The fact that there was an admission charge also concerned me at first, but they - their names were Jean-Marc, Luke and Anton, not that it matters - they paid me in. I was lead into a cloakroom. That was where I discovered what the dress code was. It was intimidating at first, but after a while, it began to seem normal. Strange to say, but standing there with three guys you have just met, beer in your hand, stark naked in a bar, can begin to seem normal…"

Sebastian looked up at the public gallery. Nick was staring at him, eyes and mouth wide open. By his side, Flint, Beats and Wes were also wide eyed. He was sure that Sam had gone into some kind of shock. Cooper just had his eyebrows quirked and a slight smirk on his face, and he was sure that as his eyes met hers that Santana had just uttered the word "Wanky."

'They think that is bad,' thought Sebastian, before carrying on. "It was a good night - we ended up having 'fun' and I was the centre of attention. They gave me their cell numbers, and for once, I kept them. They became my regular partners in crime. Through them, I met some of their classmates - they had wild parties where literally anything went. One night, we were accompanied to the club by Luke's brother - he was my age, if that, but he knew what he wanted. François was a lot like me, and I still keep in touch - the odd E-mail, a chat on Skype. It was him that I was with on the night that would turn out to be my last party night in Paris. We had gone to a bar, got pretty smashed and were 'providing a show' when the police arrived. It was a raid. In the confusion, François escaped - I was in no condition to run, and got caught - drunk, half-dressed and underage."

"The drinking age in France might have been 16; the age of consent 15; but for a lot of the seedier bars, the minimum age was 18. At that time I was like that girl in _The Sound of Music _\- 16 going on 17. I was taken to the gendarmerie, subjected to an examination and then had to wait for my mother to arrive. And boy, that was not pretty. She had been at a business dinner when the call came and had to make up a plausible excuse pretty quickly - she could hardly turn around and say that her 16 year old son had been arrested, in flagrante, in a notorious gay bar. There was worse to come though - I hadn't been entirely careful every time I went out…" He looked up to the gallery to see that the looks of shock had been replaced by looks of horror and fear. "I was lucky really - it could quite easily have been HIV that I caught - that is what happened to Jean-Marc in the end, so François tells me - but it was bad enough. Chlamydia and a mild dose of Gonorrhoea. I got lucky. A few doses of antibiotics and the worst was over. Unlike for Jean-Marc. Such a nice guy. At least it taught me always to be careful from then on."

"The outcome of all of it was my swift return to the States and to Dalton Academy. I was still taking my final courses of drugs for the clap when I arrived back; still had to take one final HIV test. My parents had to inform the school of everything that I had done. It all went into my file - they should really just have stamped the word slut on the cover to save people the bother of reading. The two guys I had been with before I went to Paris had been seniors and so were long gone. So I needed to find a sexual outlet elsewhere. Trent was too clean cut; Jeff was in love with one guy only; Nick in deep denial; and Blaine was attached to Kurt. None of them suspected that I was a tart, but Kurt - he knew. Sensed it from the day we met - he used to tell me that I 'smelt of Craigslist.' I'd just like to put on record at this point, that in spite of the fact that we traded insults every time we met, I actually quite liked him. He was feisty and would do anything to keep his man. He was about the only person that could outbitch me. I wanted Blaine, and tried everything I could to get him away from Kurt. That was how the whole incident with the slushie came about - it was supposed to hit Kurt, but got his defender, Blaine."

"That was the start of the change in me. That, and what happened after I insulted Dave Karofsky. He is a lovely guy - just not the most comfortable with his sexuality. I insulted him at a gay bar, not knowing that he was about to be outed at school and on social media. He tried to kill himself, and that chastened me. Made me stop and think before opening my big smart mouth. I tried to be nicer to people - to stop taking my feelings of anger and resentment towards my parents out on everyone else. It didn't stop me acting like a common whore. I still went out of an evening looking for a random hook up - a fix for my sex addiction. Eventually, I had the courage to apologise to Dave - he accepted, and he and I began to see each other. You know what I mean - it wasn't love, just two guys helping each other out. And then, along came Hunter, and the entire game changed."


	32. Testimony of Sebastian Smythe Part II

**February 21st**** 2014: Testimony of Sebastian Smythe Part Two**

"I started my senior year with such high hopes. I had ditched the worst aspects of my character. I was being nice to people. Even Kurt remarked upon it; though he still wouldn't let me be on my own with Blaine. I'd realised that Nick, Jeff and Trent were good guys - very straight laced though. One visit to Scandals proved that. We were the seniors in the Warblers and we thought we had things pretty much sewn up. They would form the council, and I would remain the lead soloist. When I was summoned to our new Principal's office the day before the elections for council were due, I thought it was for another lecture about how the first Warblers meeting of term had dissolved into a noisy rabble. It was to introduce me to his nephew, Hunter; to inform me that he would be joining the Warblers. I protested and pointed out the audition process that everyone had to undergo. It was then put to me bluntly by Hunter himself that he would be joining, no discussion and no audition, unless I wanted the whole school to know about my STD problems; my youthful promiscuity; and about the photos. You see, until then I was unaware that my favourite Paris bar took random pictures of the 'action' for their website. Turns out I was the star in a heck of a lot of them. They were explicit, and it was obviously me. 'It would be a tragedy,' Hunter said, 'if these ended up plastered all over Dalton; appeared at McKinley or Carmel High Schools; or at the headquarters of the show choir competition. All that could be avoided if I co-operated. I wish now that I had told him to do his worst and prayed that everyone else would forgive me. But at the time, I was prepared to give everything I had up. So I agreed to his demands; ignored the rigging of the ballot for head of council; did not protest too much about its abolition. I was still the lead soloist. Turned out, I'd end up sharing that role too."

"To protect myself, I had sacrificed my friends and the Warblers reputation. I just had to sit back and watch as things got worse. I lead a double life - kowtowing to Hunter one minute, sympathising with the guys the next. I witnessed things that I can never forget. I saw him blackmailing freshmen over their sexuality; indeed each and every kind of weakness. I heard him threaten to seduce Nick to keep Jeff in line - less seduce actually, more rohypnol. I saw him spanking more than one Warbler with a paddle for singing a wrong note, a missed or late entry. I even saw him take our Warbler mascot out of his cage and feed it alive to his cat." At that statement, there was a gasp of horror from the public gallery. When it died down, Sebastian continued. "I cried so hard that day and it was worse later when he suggested that Trent had left the cage door open… I was so thankful that Trent had the courage to refuse the steroids. I knew that Hunter had something on Jeff, so he would do it; knew that as a consequence Nick would do it, to be there beside Jeff. I had no option if I wanted those pictures to stay private. To his face, I was Hunter's loyal aide. Behind his back, I schemed to prevent the worst. I was horrified when he stole the trophy from the New Directions; worse still when he told me he had done it to lure Blaine back. He was the key to victory for Hunter. Sure enough, Blaine came, and for a few days it did look like Hunter had won. Thank God that Sam convinced Blaine to stay at McKinley. I was never more happy than when they stole the trophy back and left a 'No Thanks' note. And yes, I might have made the theft easy for them to do. The problem was, his refusal made Hunter even worse."

"I think it was a sophomore, Edward, who was the first victim of Hunter's new, tougher regime. He was a step late in the choreography - he was knocked to the floor and beaten for it. Ended up with a broken wrist. He told everyone that it was an accident. Hunter had promised him a lot worse if he blabbed. But the number of limps, sprains and bruises began to mount. The tempers of those in the group became angrier and angrier. Our academic work began to suffer - we were already banned from any other extra-curricular activities. We had barely had time to eat and sleep, let alone do homework assignments. Two of the faculty were brave enough to go to the Principal. They were fired, and the rest of the staff were warned not to interfere."

"We went to Sectionals and won easily. The New Directions had to withdraw, but our routine was flawless. The next day I was told to remain in the Senior Commons to see Hunter after another rehearsal had ended in violence. He told me he had heard Jeff saying that he couldn't go on; Nick saying that he felt the same. They were going to leave; I had to stop them. And I would do that by showing them what would happen to them if they didn't stay in line. He then told me to take my shirt off. It was a strange request, but when Hunter said do, you did. It was easier. He told me to brace myself on the old council table, and to be a man. When it happened, I was numbed by the shock. It kept happening. He whipped me with what I believe is called a Cat O' Nine Tails. He kept lashing out at me until my back bled freely - then carried on. I was screaming in pain by the time he stopped. He threw my shirt at me, told me to go and show Nick and Jeff what he would do to them if they didn't behave. He left the room, and I collapsed to the floor. Somehow, I eventually managed to get up and make it back to my room. It was there that the two boys in question found me, and saw what he had done. When I told them why it had taken place, they wept, and begged for my forgiveness. I gave them it and promised to help them stay strong. In that night, we bonded far more closely than before. We no longer cried alone from pain and exhaustion alone - we did it in the arms of our two friends. We kept each other sane."

Sebastian paused and looked up into the gallery, where Nick sat with his face buried in Wes' shoulder. "At this point, I need to show you all something. It is of vital importance to the case." He began to undo his tie; took off his suit jacket and undid the buttons of his shirt, before taking off the garment, still facing the courtroom. Then he turned his back on them, eliciting a chorus of gasps as he did so. His back was crisscrossed with red scars, still vivid after all this time. "They tell me that these marks will never fade. I used to love nothing more than going to a club, taking off my shirt and dancing, knowing that I would be being watched. I can't now, because the looks would no longer be admiring, but sympathetic. I was punished because my friends were on the verge of cracking up, but somehow, in his twisted mind, that was my fault, not his. The worst thing is that I took this, and he still ended up punishing them anyway. But that is not my story to tell. All I will say is that they suffered as much as me, if not more, in the end…."

There was silence in the court as Sebastian put his shirt back on, apart from the sound of one person quietly sobbing. Wes had his arms around Nick as he cried. He had no idea what had happened to the boy; had a horrible feeling that he didn't want to know. All he could do was hold him, and hope that in time, his pain would decrease. Meanwhile Sebastian, now dressed again, went on. "The night he punished Nick and Jeff was the last straw for me. I had to decide where my loyalties lay, and it wasn't with Hunter. I had to get them away from him. Nick was more concerned with making sure that Trent was safe than with his own safety - refused to leave Dalton until he was sure that our friend was out of harm's way. He was of course - he was at McKinley, singing like a canary to Finn, Sam and Blaine. I took Nick and Jeff to Burt Hummel - I knew he would listen; would not judge but help us to get free. The fact that his wife Carole was a nurse was also a consideration. With all of us out of harm, we revealed the truth. Between Burt, the sheriff and the show choir committee, the reign of Hunter ended. All that remained for us to do was to pick up the pieces that he had left."

"To the outside world, things at Dalton seemed to return to normal after that. Principal Carmichael came back from retirement; the two sacked teachers were reinstated. A team of counsellors were brought in to mentor us, but in all honesty, we dealt with it ourselves as a group. Trent became our rock as we dealt with the pain of steroid withdrawal. It hit some of us far harder than others. Our reputation as a group was in tatters, and we hard to work hard on fixing it. Helping Blaine to propose to Kurt was the first part in that. But Hunter's legacy was never too far away, and manifested itself in ways both good and bad. It brought Nick and Jeff even closer, until in the end, Nick finally stopped pretending to be straight and gave Jeff what he had always wanted. They got engaged just after Thanksgiving. Not everything that happened thanks to Hunter is negative - just most of it."

"For my part, I needed to get away. I knew that my father had business contacts in London and so I asked him to make enquiries. I graduated from Dalton, and within a week I was taking up an internship in the City. London was good for me - it had all the excitement that I needed and craved, but none of the past lurking around every corner. I had to work hard, but I still had time to play. My games were no longer what they were though. I saw plays, went to concerts, walked around galleries and museums. I did got to the occasional club; found a bar in London where I felt comfortable. I steered clear of the seedier ones - I was too scarred for them now, and not even 20 years old. My appetite for sex had diminished anyway. Now I was looking for more; for the kind of love I saw between Kurt and Blaine; Nick and Jeff - but I didn't feel worthy of it. So I worked hard and gave up on my guilty pleasures of singing and dancing. I did manage to do one important thing though. I went to Paris and met up with François. He had also grown up and changed his ways. That happened a week before I slept through the most important text message of my life. The one were Hunter made his massive mistake."

"When everything came out about Hunter's reign of terror, I had kept my name out of things - so, for that matter, did Nick and Jeff. Although we all spoke to the authorities, Trent became the figurehead of the campaign. He took on the role to protect us, his friends. My duplicity with Hunter was not exposed and so he must have assumed in his twisted mind that he could still count on my unswerving support. That is the only reason I can think of for him sending me a text to say that Kurt and Blaine had had an accident hours before it happened. I will never forgive myself for sleeping through its arrival. I could possibly have changed everything if I had reacted at the time. A wise person told me though that there is no point in 'If only..' It doesn't change the facts. What is done, is done. I was so shocked to find out that Kurt had died, but I stayed away from his funeral. He and I weren't that close. Then I heard from Trent that Blaine was falling apart. That was all the prompting that I needed to leave London and return stateside."

"What happened next is well documented. Cooper heard about the text and realised its significance, which had escaped me until then. Blaine put two and two together and got four. My guilt was all consuming, and after I left the Anderson house that day, I went back to my father's house and wept. I had to say nothing until everything was out in the open. For me, that was hard - even more so the next night when Nick and Trent pulled me in to a Warblers' group chat on Skype. It was ironically to discuss how we were going to get our old Blaine back. We had been going back and forth for nearly an hour when Santana called Wes. When she joined our chat. Only it was Sam and one look at his face was enough to let our sensitive Jeff know. I will never forget that moment when he told us that Blaine had killed himself. It shattered my heart and made me ache. Loosened my mouth and so I let slip about Hunter. The reaction was exactly what I would have expected. Hunter should be thankful that he was in custody by then, or I doubt that he would be here now. Not if we had laid hands on him first."

"My world has been turned upside down by events. I now find myself in a position where I no longer have to rely on my parents financially, thanks to a legacy from Blaine. I will be off to NYADA in the fall; I have always loved being a showman, and now, I can do it. It seems wrong to say it, but I think my soul is finally at peace with itself. I have learnt to live with my mistakes; I know where I went wrong, and I won't be going there again. My life is now focussed on the future - on being good. Helping my friends to achieve their goals. If you had told me two years ago that I would be living with Nick and Jeff, I would have scoffed and said, 'With those infuriating idiots? No way.' Fact is I love them. They, along with Trent, are my best friends. They love me back. As does someone else. After all this is over, I hope that he will let me love him too."

Sebastian finished speaking and stood, his eyes downcast, whilst the judge adjourned the court for lunch. Everyone filed out of the gallery except Dave Karofsky, who sat and watched as Sebastian was taken down to the witness room. He sat there, his eyes red, having started to cry when he had seen those scars. It explained why the boy here now was not the same as the one he had met in Scandals more than two years ago.

"He does like you, you know. But I think that you know that." Dave turned round to see Nick standing in the row behind him. "I used to think he was a total douche after what he did to Blaine with that slushie, but he has changed - firstly, because he felt that your suicide attempt was his fault; and secondly, because of Hunter. He really came through for all of us then, Dave. If it wasn't for him, then I think that a lot of other people could have ended up badly hurt. He will never admit it, but he used to put himself between Hunter and all of us when he was roid raging. He used to take so many punches to save the freshmen and sophomores. I think you like him too. Tell him. He deserves to be happy after all of this." Then Nick was gone, leaving Dave deep in thought.


	33. Cross Examination of Sebastian Smythe

**February 21s****t ****2014: Cross Examination of Sebastian Smythe**

Dave Karofsky was still sitting in the exact same spot as everyone else filed back in after lunch. Nick handed him a sandwich and a bottle of water, and hoped that no-one else would notice as the judge started everything up again. This time, the defence team took no prisoners, and began with a nasty insinuation.

"Mr Smythe, isn't it the case that you and my client were close friends; that you were as much part of this so called plot as he was? In fact, were the steroids not your idea in the first place?"

"Well, I saw this coming a mile off, so let me just clarify the conversation that you are quite obviously referring to. Hunter had made me sit and watch videos of show choirs in China with him. He made constant reference to the discipline, the stamina and the athleticism of the performers. Then he asked me if I thought that we could whip - an ironic choice of words, as it happens - the Warblers into that kind of shape. I flippantly said that it would need a truck load of steroids. Next thing I know, there they are. If your client is too stupid to recognise sarcasm when he hears it, then it is not my fault. It's down to the faulty wiring in his head. I mean, who in their right mind could imagine that steroids could have turned Trent Nixon into an athlete? No offence to him intended."

"Mr Nixon declined the steroids in any case."

"Hunter knew that he would; he had nothing on him, so he could not force him, unlike the rest of us. All of us, with the exception of Nick, had guilty secrets, whether it was being secretly gay, having a 10 a day cigarette habit, or in my case, being a clap ridden Parisian whore…"

The whole court seemed to burst out laughing at that - it took the judge a moment to bang her gavel in an attempt to regain order, mainly because she was trying to suppress a giggle herself. In the gallery, there were smiles all round, and Wes had to do his hardest to stop himself laughing whilst looking with disapproval at Flint and Beats, who were in danger of falling off their seats.

Once relative order had been restored, Mr Masterton restarted his questioning. "Mr Smythe, you are not denying therefore that you may have put the idea into my client's head?"

"In a completely innocent remark, I may have given him an idea which he stupidly chose to run with, to fulfil his orders from his uncle to beat the New Directions and win the show choir competition for Dalton. The fact remains that he was the one to order it, and he was the one that forced people to take it, or leave. He was the one that beat people, punished them for being human. Not me. I certainly didn't give him those ideas, regardless of what he may have said."

"So you did not desire revenge when the steroid scandal was exposed by Finn, Trent, Sam and Blaine?"

"No, I didn't. We had been caught cheating and we deserved whatever punishment was handed out. He was expelled - and had it not been for the evidence of my injuries, I would probably have been expelled too."

"But Hunter says that you said, and I quote 'Those that have brought us to this have got to pay.' That implies a desire for vengeance to me. And you have a history of it; the slushie thrown at Blaine Anderson, intended for Kurt Hummel, that contained a large quantity of rock salt; the mocked up nude photographs of Finn Hudson; need I go on to name all the other incidents in your past?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I admit that in my junior year at Dalton, as the lead soloist of the Warblers, I behaved badly. I had a desire to win, but unlike Hunter, I did nothing to endanger the lives of my fellow Warblers, nor did I injure them." Before Mr Masterton could speak again, he continued. "It is true that my actions did have consequences for people outwith the Warblers. The slushie that I threw at Blaine damaged his cornea so badly that he had to have surgery. I threw it because I was jealous that Kurt had Blaine. I wanted to hurt him - instead, I left the object of my affections in agony. I took a while to apologise for that, and in the end, only did so because my friends in the Warblers made me do so. The photographs of Finn were an attempt to break the morale of the New Directions - I chose the photo because of what it showed. To put it another way, think of what their name sounds like - Nude Er… So, I made the images of Finn, their male lead, in the belief that I could post them all around McKinley - in fact, across Lima, and make them a laughing stock. Let's just say that the guy in the picture was not well endowed. I was a complete bitch in my junior year, and even now, I have my moments when I can drop a line that wounds, scars, and more importantly, is downright witty. But then something happened that showed me that my actions could lead to tragedy. I was horrible to Dave, and he tried to kill himself. I don't know how I would have lived with myself if he had succeeded. He didn't though - I was just so glad and something inside me started to change. I no longer needed to get revenge. Oh, by the way, in that conversation, I wasn't referring to Finn, Trent, Sam and Blaine. Or any of the other Warblers. As some of you will already have realised, I was referring to Hunter and his uncle. They had brought Dalton to the low situation in which it found itself - nobody else."

"If you despised my client so much, then why did you remain in communication with him? You were close enough to him that you received a text message to tell you that Kurt and Blaine had met with an accident. Do you expect the court to believe that you had nothing to do with this?"

"That text was the first communication I had received from Hunter since he left Dalton Academy in disgrace. I believe that you have my phone records? Check them and you will see that this is true. I do have a theory as to why I got that text though. Whilst we were at Dalton together, there was more than one time when Hunter would scream that he had called or text messaged a certain Warbler when they failed to appear - more often than not he would then discover that he had missent the message or called the wrong number because he hit the wrong name on his smart phone. Now, I am aware that Hunter had a gang of accomplices in his attacks on Finn, Kurt and Blaine. From my memory, the four main ones were Tommy, Dan, Brent, and Sean. I would guess that if you checked his phone, the name Sebastian is right below Sean. He really should have deleted me. As it turns out, that was the thing that caused his downfall - his big, fat fingers. I'd wager any money that Sean did not get a text that night…"

There was a frantic scrabbling through the evidence piles at that point. In the end, they all heard the quiet curse from Mr Masterton as he noted that Sebastian was right. Of his four main accomplices, Sean was the only one unaware of the fact that Kurt would be with Blaine when the attack began; because he hadn't received the message. Fate, it seemed had been on their side that evening in more ways than one.

With that, Mr Masterton announced that he had no further questions. His face bore all the marks of someone whose world was starting to fall apart. In the dock, Hunter looked less cocky - but when he realised that Sebastian's eyes had fallen upon him, he fixed a glare on him, and drew his finger slowly across his throat. The judge, on seeing this, banged her gavel and demanded that he be taken down at once. Then the trial was adjourned again until Monday, and Sebastian was free. His ordeal was finally over. He made his way into the lobby, to be engulfed by his fellow Warblers. He felt tears starting to form in his eyes. Puck stepped forward, and handed him a tissue.

"From Quinn - she says that all the best Parisian whores are using them this season."

Sebastian could only burst out laughing and soon, everyone else joined in. Everyone else except Burt, who was standing in the corner making a phone call, a smiling Carole by his side. When he had finished, he called out to all of them for quiet.

"Whilst we've been in there, something has happened in Lima. Something big." There was a moment of silence as they all looked at each other in horror - surely not another tragedy. Burt turned his phone round for all of them to see, and brought up a picture. "I'd like you all to welcome Finn, Kurt and Blaine Schuester. Born this morning at Lima Memorial Hospital. The Schuesters have three beautiful sons - and they've chosen the best names for them, don't you think?" And no-one could disagree with him.


	34. WOHN News 8 - February 21st 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 21****st**

_And now over to our reporter in New York for an update on today's events in the trial of Hunter Clarington._

"Thanks Rod. Today it was the turn of Sebastian Smythe, the former lead soloist of the Warblers to take the stand. He revealed to us the details of what was actually going on behind the closed doors of the school in the run up to the Dalton Steroid Scandal. It seems that the Warblers were living in a climate of fear - they were victims of physical torture if they failed to comply to the standards demanded. It was standard practice for punishment beatings to take place for a wrong note or a missed cue. It was graphically illustrated to us when Smythe removed his shirt to show the court the scars he still carries from a whipping he received because two of his cohorts had dared to consider quitting. He hinted that other victims were treated to the same level of punishment - the court will hear from Jeff Sterling next week, and his name is one that has been mentioned in this regard. At the time of the scandal, it was popular to refer to the Warblers as spoilt prep school boys who had fallen due to their own lax morality. But tonight, it appears that they were as much the victims in this case as Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel. On Monday, we will hear from Tommy O'Hara, one of Clarington's gang, who has come over to the prosecution side in a plea bargain. I have a feeling that there will be many more shocks in store then. Live from New York, this is Jacob Ben Israel."


	35. Weekend in New York 21st - 23rd February

_Not going to be able to post tomorrow, so 2 chapters today - call it an early Christmas gift. Thanks for reading..._

**Weekend in New York - 21****st**** to 23****rd**** February**

In the aftermath of his day in court, Sebastian only wanted to do two things - go out for a drink with his friends, and have a chat with one guy in particular. So it was that the group made their way to a bar a few blocks away from the court. Everyone came, all anxious to celebrate the birth of the Schuester boys. As the rest raise a toast, Sebastian indicated to Dave that he wanted to talk in private; they drifted away to a booth in a quiet corner. Wes observed this and crossed his fingers - he had a good idea what Sebastian was about to say.

"There is something that I have wanted to say to you for a while now Dave, but whilst I have had the trail hanging over me like the Sword of Damocles, I didn't want to. But for me, the hard part is over now, and so the time is right, whilst you are here. I know that you and I have had our issues - big ones at that, but I do kind of like you. You're not like most of the guys I have met over the years. You are a bit of a contradiction - the big football jock with the soft centre and a heart of gold. It's very attractive now that I have grown up, and am no longer the smug meerkat faced boy I was back at Dalton. So, I guess I'm kind of asking if you would go out on a date with me? Tomorrow night if you are free - go out and get a bite to eat, maybe see a film or a show, or just go for a walk. Anything else can wait. I just want to get to know you first."

"I'd like that - I've been wanting to ask you out for a while too, you know. Did I tell you that I have transferred schools - that is why I am in New York - I'm going to be at NYU now. So, I'll be around full time. So if this date tomorrow works, maybe it could be more than a one off?"

"I'd like that. Guess we might even be kind of boyfriends then, if it works…"

"Yeah, kinda boyfriends…and hopefully more in time…"

* * *

The rest of that Friday night was spent at home. Sebastian just wanted to sink into a hot bath and relax after his day on the stand, and think about his date the next night. Sam and Santana had to work the late shift. Wes had to write up his notes on the trial so far for his tutor, which he did in between answering a seemingly endless stream of text messages. The majority of the former New Directions were anxious to speak to Mr Schue and give him their personal congratulations on the phone. Burt and Carole went out for a meal. Nick was concentrating on taking care of the last witness from their group, Jeff. He had been spending his time in the witness room sketching, creating a series of portraits that he could place in his portfolio for college next year. He had managed to draw all of his fellow witnesses in the past 10 days. He had also found time to produce a wicked caricature of Rachel as she had made them all help her with her lines for _Funny Girl_. It wasn't going in his portfolio, but Nick was sure that if Puck and Sebastian ever saw it, they would find it hysterical. That day he had been alone in the room, so he had asked the guard to sit for him, producing two copies of the portrait - one for himself and one for the guard to take home. The stress was starting to tell on him though, as the day of his actual appearance in court drew closer. The fact that he was on the opposing side did not help him to relax either. Nick knew that it wasn't his choice to appear, knew that their friends would not turn on him, but he was having great difficulty in convincing Jeff of that.

The next day was busier, and full of surprises. Wes had left Bushwick very early and hand managed to rouse Jeff, who wasn't sleeping very well. When he asked were his friend was going, he was told that it was to get him a surprise. Wes left, giving Jeff a wink as he did so. He then spent the next hour or so drawing a sleeping Nick. His fiancé had always been his favourite subject, and never more so than when he could catch him off guard. Eventually, Nick woke up and smiled when he saw what Jeff was doing. He knew that drawing made Jeff calm and happy - though he did at times miss the boy he had been at Dalton before Hunter - ever so slightly hyperactive, never still for long and his smile - well, that hadn't been much in evidence for the last month or so. They had breakfast and made enough for Sebastian to have some too - the smell of freshly brewed coffee always seemed to wake him up.

It was just after nine when Wes came back with a big grin on his face. "Ah, good, you are all awake and reasonably decent. Jeff, your surprise is here - I've left it just outside the door…"

Jeff looked at him curiously, then made his way to the door, missing the wink that Wes gave Nick, who was fully aware of what his older friend had done. Jeff opened the door….and shrieked with delight, before he was engulfed by two sets of arms. "OhmyGod Wes! David and Thad are here - that's the best surprise ever!"

"Well," said Thad, "Someone told us that our little starling was needing cheered up, so we flew over."

"Plus I'm sure that Sebastian is happy to see us too. We would have been here yesterday, but I had an exam," said David.

"They are here for the whole of next week, Jeff, so that they can support you when you are on the stand," explained Wes.

"And hopefully, we will get to see Hunter sent down for a very long time too," said David, his arms around Jeff, as Thad went to pull an equally happy Nick and Sebastian into a hug.

By lunchtime that day, the loft had become Warbler central. A quick phone call had brought Beats and Flint on a run from Princeton for a reunion with David and Thad. Sam had been dragged from his bed by Nick on the grounds that he was now an honorary Warbler and so had a duty to attend. There was a brief moment of sadness when Flint suddenly burst into tears, and when asked why, all he could reply was that the last time that they had all been together, when Nick, Jeff, Sebastian and Trent had graduated from Dalton, Kurt and Blaine had been there too. The mood was dampened only briefly, but it set Wes wondering - was there any way that the spell from the wedding could be used to enable Beats and Flint to see the two angelic members of the group.

"Not sure, Wes," said a voice to his left, "but we can ask Elizabeth and see what we can do." Wes turned towards Blaine and smiled at his friend. "It does seem a pity that they missed out by being in Antarctica; and I think that if we can do it, we should include Ethan and Drew too," continued Blaine. "Anyway, can't stop - Kurt and I are building our version of the Senior Commons at the moment, and we were arguing about the panelling above the fireplace. I'm supposed to be at Dalton checking it out, but I heard you thinking. See you later, and give everyone my love." With that Blaine was gone, leaving Wes with a little hope.

Just as they sat down to lunch, there was a knock at the door. Nick went to answer it and on doing so, shrieked as loudly as Jeff had earlier. The next moment, Trent was being dragged into the room; on seeing David and Thad, he was as overexcited as Jeff had been. Rory followed behind, closing the door, and with a smile, went to join his boyfriend. Lunch then turned into a riot, with Wes having to bang the pepper grinder on the table more than once to get a bit of silence. Thad just laughed at his actions - he had always maintained that Wes was lost without Mr Bangy, and this seemed to prove his point. Eventually, lunch was over - some organisation was done to clean the place up, and then things took a more serious tone. Thad and David were escorted by Wes into his and Sebastian's room; and once again, the latter removed his shirt. The others knew this from the gasp of horror from Thad, who almost at once flew out of the room in tears, straight into Nick's arms. David emerged looking paler than anyone had ever seen him, and took a swift drink of water. That left Rory as the only person in the room that had not seen Sebastian's back - Jeff and Trent had both seen it shortly after it was done. Wes seemed to realise this and asked Rory to come in - he did, with Trent supporting him. The two emerged not long after with Rory in tears and Trent on the verge. Wes then emerged and commanded that a cheerful song should be sung, to help them deal with what they had witnessed and to support Sebastian. It worked in its own way - by the end of it, they were all smiling again, even Sebastian, who had emerged from his room with his shirt back on.

"Ok, tonight we go out," said Wes. "No exceptions other than Sebastian, who actually has a date…" There was a chorus of whistles and cheers, leaving the boy in question bright red.

In the end, the Warblers were joined by the New Directions for their evening out. By some miracle, no-one had to work, and so they all went out en masse. Santana insisted that they eat first, and so they ended up almost naturally at the Spotlight Diner - it gave them all an opportunity to catch up, to eat well and to sing along with the wait staff. Rachel then moved them all on to Callbacks, which gave them all another opportunity to sing, if they wished, to an appreciative audience. At first Jeff was quite quiet and refused to be drawn out - then Wes put his name down with Nick's for a duet. When it was announced Nick looked angry; Jeff scared out of his mind. Surrounded by their peers they could not refuse, particularly as Wes was nearly pushing them onto the stage, Nick muttering darkly about killing him later. Then the song he had chosen for them to sing was announced - _I got you Babe_. Nick went red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. Jeff stood dumbstruck for a second, then turned to Nick and said "Can I be Cher?" as clear as day. Nick could only nod, and in no time the two were belting out the lyrics, big smiles on their faces. Wes was satisfied to see that his scheme had worked - Jeff was almost his normal self and that in turn made Nick happy. They finished to a loud round of applause, and a standing ovation from their friends. Wes was admittedly less happy when he found out that he had been put down to sing _Oops, I did it again _by Britney Spears by Nick ("Call it karma Wesley!") but after he, backed by Thad and David, had reduced the entire bar to hysterics with their performance, everything was forgiven.

It seemed almost inevitable where they ended up after that. Puck was not in uniform, otherwise he would have been mobbed more than he was from the moment that he walked in. He and Mike had carried Artie down the stairs, David following on behind with his chair, so that he could experience his first visit to a gay club. The boy found to his shock (and secret delight) that he also got hit on more than once. The music was good, the drinks flowed, and no-one could stop themselves from dancing. Once again, Jeff seemed to have forgotten all his worries from the moment he and Nick stepped on to the dance floor. As a consequence they never left it for more than the few seconds needed to grab a swift drink from the table that Santana had initially commandeered and from which Rachel now held court. Someone had found out that she was the lead in the revival of _Funny Girl_ \- as a result, she was the centre of attention and loving every minute of it. Quinn could only roll her eyes and laugh as she danced with Santana and Brittany - Puck was close by with Mike and Sam. Thad and Wes were also sticking together, which raised a few questioning looks from the New Directions, until David explained to Mercedes that although everyone had put him and Wes together in the bromance stakes, it was far more Wes and Thad that had that kind of relationship. It was clear to everyone that the two were comfortable in the other's company. It was obvious to Santana that Thad was a lot closer to Wes than David thought. If it was one sided or not she couldn't tell. But she was convinced that Thad was in love with Wes; and tonight dancing with him in public, he was in heaven.

Wes was fully aware of Thad's feelings for him, and it didn't bother him. He loved all of his boys and had made it his mission to protect them as best as he could. He still felt so guilty that he had taken his eye off the ball whilst Hunter was tormenting them, but his college course had been hectic; the whole affair had been kept quiet and the cryptic texts from Trent had just puzzled him. Now, he had to do what he could. Being there for them full time was part of his plan. Things were going well - Nick and Jeff were finally together, and after the ordeal of the trial was over, they could heal together. Trent had found true love with Rory, who fitted in so well - he glanced over at the two of them as they danced next to Nick and Jeff. As for Sebastian, well he was on a date, and given his promiscuous past, that alone was a miracle. He hoped that things would work for him and Dave. Thad was happy too - he had been so miserable for a while, always complaining about how lonely he felt; that he was destined to be alone for the rest of his life. So Wes had rashly made him a promise - that if he was still single by the age of 30, then he would marry him. That was still a long way off and anything could happen. But if he did find himself faced with a single, 30 year old Thad, he wouldn't be too upset. He was very fond of Thad, and marrying him, that wouldn't be so bad…

They carried on dancing late into the night. Nick and Jeff had made the same mistake as Trent had and had tried to match Rory drink for drink. They had to stop dancing as they kept on falling over. Wes just shook his head as he propped them up next to Rachel - he was feeling quite buzzed himself. Beats had taken his shirt off again, purely because he enjoyed the admiring looks it got him around the club. Puck had copied him, and after that, Quinn danced much closer to him. Santana and Brittany were able to make out on the dance floor without worrying about the consequences, though they did notice Flint staring at them, his mouth wide open and his eyes glazed over. Santana decided she would allow him to enjoy the show. Thad was also drunk, and clung to Wes, whispering sweet words in his ear. 'Wanky' thought Santana, also noticing that Wes was making no attempt to push him away.

The journey home was interesting - of all of them, the most sober was Artie, which was fortunate as he wheeled himself along; Mercedes and David were also sober, and they walked along arm in arm, chatting quietly. That night, the two of them had discovered that they had a lot in common. There was a definite spark between the two of them - at that moment they where on opposite sides of the country, but Mercedes would eventually return to L.A. as part of her record deal, and both agreed it would be nice to meet up once they were both there. Everyone managed to get home eventually, though it was touch and go in some instances. Back in the loft, Nick and Jeff fell onto their bed fully clothed and were instantly asleep. The other Warblers were not long behind them in sleeping.

The following morning arrived with grey skies and light snow showers. The majority missed most of the morning in any case. Artie and Mercedes had risen early enough and had gone about their usual chores - Artie caught up on college work; Mercedes was finessing her lyrics. David also woke early, surrounded by his fellow Warblers, all of whom seemed to have passed out where they had fallen. He pottered about quietly for a while, before he sent a text to Mercedes, who invited him to pop over for breakfast. It was an offer he could not refuse. In the new loft, Rachel had woken up and began her usual morning practice of her scales, until Santana had yelled at her and threatened to end her. Burt and Carole, eating breakfast in the kitchen, laughed very quietly, then went out - Carole was taking Burt to the Guggenheim, against his better judgement. Eventually, the house came to life, everyone keeping as quiet as possible. They were suffering the after effects, but it had been a good night. Even the shock of Puck finding a cell phone number on a slip of paper in the back pocket of his jeans did not phase them - in fact, the look on his face just made Quinn laugh.

Across the landing, the peace was finally disturbed by someone banging a wooden spoon on a pot loudly and repeatedly. Sebastian had woken up to find the place full of sleeping Warblers; he decided that he should make breakfast for everyone. He brewed coffee, poured juice into jugs, dug out cereals, and began to make toast. It was then he realised that he needed to wake them all up at once, so he resorted to the only means available. It worked very well. Beats jumped up from the sofa, and promptly clutched his head. In doing so, he knocked Flint onto the floor. Trent and Rory groaned from the chair they were curled up in together. Nick and Jeff charged out of their room as if it was on fire. Sebastian could feel six pairs of eyes burning on him. "Breakfast? It's nearly midday…" Once they all realised that he had made food, they forgave him, and fell on it like a plague of locusts.

Wes emerged from the room he shared with Sebastian, everyone noticing a sheepish looking Thad in his wake. "Quite like mornings at Dalton, isn't it Thaddeus? Go and get yourself a seat and I'll get us some coffee and toast." As he did so, he looked about and said, "Two questions. Number one, where is David? And number two, are you going to take Dave a coffee, Seb, or should I do it?" Sebastian blushed, and quickly poured two mugs of coffee, and grabbing some toast, made his way back to his room. No-one was bothered about it - after all, only Beats and Flint hadn't been wrapped around someone when they woke up that morning. Even Wes had woken up with a content looking Thad in his arms. The rest of the day was spent quietly, with the minimum teasing of Sebastian over Dave, and David over Mercedes, when he reappeared in the early evening.


	36. Testimony of Tommy O'Hara Part I

**February 24****th**** 2014: Testimony of Tommy O'Hara Part One**

Monday morning saw everyone back at court. Marley and Kitty had returned to Lima on Saturday, but had been promised updates. Otherwise, there was a full compliment. The only Warbler missing was Jeff, now alone in the witness room with his sketch book. Today was different though. For the first time since the trial had begun, the witness was not known to them. Tommy O'Hara was a relatively unknown quantity. They did know that he had offered to give evidence against Hunter as part of a plea bargain - he had also been present in the alley on that terrible night. At the appointed time, a red haired, bearded, green-eyed young man was escorted onto the stand, with a police guard. He had a face that seemed to have seen damage in the boxing ring. There was a ripple of noise around the court as Hunter snarled on seeing him. All of them heard him whisper "Traitor" under his breath. Tommy just ignored him; took his place and the oath, and began.

"I met Hunter Clarington on the day that he arrived at Eisenhower Military Academy. I was in my third year there at the time. His presence from that initial day was huge - it was clear from the moment that he arrived that he was a dominant person. That he would want to lead and expect others to meekly follow behind him. In short, he was going to be trouble. I should have kept well clear, but I wasn't given a choice. I was appointed as a mentor to him - me and my good pal Dan Einsterwitz. We were supposed to be an example to him, but Dan was soon under his spell. Hunter was good - a born soldier. He excelled in target practice, in warcraft - not so hot academically, but that wasn't an issue at our school. We were being trained to fight, not to write - not to work in an office or anything like that. Music was the only interest he had outwith the military sphere. He was a good singer, and there he progressed quickly. He took over as lead soloist in our choir. But beneath his outer layer of sanity, there was a psychopath. Bullying was a fact of life at the Academy - difference of any kind was not to be tolerated. He began to punish any boy in the choir that let us down. The authorities did not regard this as an issue - we were supposed to be tough and just deal with it."

"That all changed in Hunter's second year. Then things came to a head, which resulted in a situation which saw myself, Dan and Hunter expelled. There was a boy, Mark, new to the school. Lovely singing voice; a great talent. Hunter could not stand him, because Mark was different. He thought that he was gay, and that, to Hunter, was unacceptable. So he became the main target of Hunter's pranks - I think that hazing would be a better term. He tormented the boy both physically and mentally - there is a long catalogue of incidents - the worst of which involved the shaving of the entire left hand side of his body. Mark went from confident to weak - I used to hear him crying himself to sleep every night. I should have said something; intervened to stop it. But Hunter knew that I was sleeping with someone that I shouldn't be, and if it came out, then I would be finished. So I gave into his blackmail, and said nothing, just tried to ignore what was going on. I was a fool, because it all culminated in disaster anyway."

"We had a major war game that weekend. We had been taken to a proper army training area, and had been armed with live ammunition. I was on one team; Hunter, Dan and Mark were on another. There was an 'accident' involving Mark. He ended up getting shot in the chest - the bullet missed his heart by less than an inch. He lived to tell the tale, but only by playing dead. It turned out that Hunter had fired at him - he was seen not only by Mark, but by a couple of other guys. Hunter had obviously assumed that everyone would keep quiet as they usually did in these situations. It was the fact that Mark nearly died that swung it. They feared that they would be next in line, so they spoke up. Hunter was expelled at once - luck not to have been charged with attempted murder, but I think that his father intervened, and used his power and influence to sort it out. As for me and Dan, we were in charge of the group; we were lucky I suppose that they still gave us our high school diplomas. But we were held partially accountable, and were expelled - our chance of joining any branch of the military was also taken away. We both took it hard. Why we didn't side with Mark against Hunter at that point, I don't know. I managed to get away from him - Dan did not. He liked Hunter - the guy was prepared to take on 'those fags' that were ruining the army. Me, I'm not homophobic. Be a bit ironic if I was…."

"I was not able to apply for college the following year - it was too late. In any case, my place at the Academy had been a scholarship - my parents ain't rich. I had no hope of a college fund. I got myself a job in Cleveland; the pay was good, but the hours were long. It didn't matter, I was saving for my future. Then one night, I got a visitor; my old mate Dan. Had a proposition for me, a chance to earn real money. I was curious at first, but when he mentioned the word Hunter, I was far less interested. My life was going ok, I just wanted to keep my head down. I said no, but Dan left his number. That's what I called a few weeks later, when due to cutbacks, I lost my job. The offer was still on the table. The story I was spun was that Hunter was owed money by some guys at his new school; they had refused to pay it back, and he needed help in getting it back. He said that this was what happened at public schools like McKinley High. He made no mention of Dalton Academy - must have known that I would google the school name to check out his story. He knew so much about Lima and 'his' school that I didn't bother to check too deeply - wish now that I had. I could have stayed well clear otherwise."

"I found myself living in New York, with Hunter, Dan and two other guys. Brent was a childhood bud of Dan's that had been in and out of juvie over the years. Sean was a guy that Hunter had met at a bar, here in Manhattan. He was on the fringes of a gang of drug dealers, which did concern me at the time, but I still thought that I could stay on the fringes, collect my money and head back home to community college. Then came that night - the night when my life was turned upside down all over again. The night that he told me we were going to meet the guys that owed him the cash. Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel. The minute that I caught sight of them, I knew it was wrong. They did not look like the kind of guys that would owe Hunter money. They looked far more like poor Mark. I had been embroiled in a gay bashing plot. I refused to attack them. But it was still four on two…"

Afterwards, I felt physically sick. I had tried to get away from the others when we heard the police siren and ran. The siren that stopped Hunter from finishing off the job on Blaine. As I say, I tried to get away, but Dan grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Took me back to where Hunter was waiting at his apartment. Told the others to scatter across the city; told me to stay. When they had gone, he turned to me and asked me why I hadn't done my job. I said nothing at first, trying to chose my words carefully, as he still had hold of the baseball bat - the gore streaked baseball bat. "I think I know why - you queers won't hit each other." I froze when he said that and he took my lack of response as a yes. Told me that although he could live it, the others might not like it if they found out. Might think that I was a liability to get rid of. But he wouldn't say anything if I stayed loyal. No handing myself in. No stories. Just be a loyal lieutenant. I knew that Dan wouldn't care, but Brent and Sean - they had been too enthusiastic in their attack on Kurt and Blaine. I had no real choice - but even then a part of me was thinking keep close, learn more and then drop him in it even harder. So I went along with it to save my own skin - Hunter came to trust me. Trust me so much that he told me everything, including his long term plans. You see, this was just the start of his revenge…"

He paused, and took a drink of water. "He showed me what he intended to do one night, twelve days after the attack. I heard by then that Kurt Hummel had died - I went back to the scene and left a bunch of red and yellow roses." There was a gasp off shock from Santana; she had also gone back to the scene prior to Kurt's funeral - had seen the bunch of roses there and thought it had been Blaine - now she found out that it had been one of the gang, it chilled her to the bone. "I knew that Blaine had survived, because Hunter was irate over that, particularly when he discovered that the police had not been on their way when we ran. He smashed a shop window that night in a fit of anger. He went to the hospital, intending to finish Blaine off there - a pillow over his face to end his life. But there was always someone there - usually his brother. On one occasion, he nearly came face to face with two of his Dalton boys, Nick and Jeff. The time he came closest to going in was when he saw him alone with the 'cripple boy' - he could just have smashed him over the head, tipped him out of his chair, then smothered a helpless Blaine. Probably would have finished the other boy off as an afterthought to remove the witness."

In the gallery, Artie sat in shock. He had felt uneasy that day when he had sat with a dozing Blaine in his hospital room - now he knew that he had had every reason to feel that way. He realised then that Puck had placed his hand on his shoulder - he turned round to see his face and saw that it was grim and angry looking. Next to him, Quinn was wiping at her eyes - further along the row, both Tina and Brittany were crying. On either side of them, both Mike and Santana looked ready to go down and punch Hunter in the face. Suddenly, he heard Mercedes whispering in his ear. "No-one hurts you or threatens you, and gets away with it." He could only smile at all of the love that was surrounding him.


	37. Testimony of Tommy O'Hara Part II

**February 24****th**** 2014: Testimony of Tommy O****'****Hara Part Two**

Tommy had paused in his testimony again for a moment, and then he began again in a voice that was free of any emotion. "Anyway, he had an alternative - as I said, he showed me it. He had written it all down, then after he had shown me, he threw it in the trash. I rescued it, and kept it on me at all times. The police took it when they arrested me."

"It's exhibit D your honour," interjected Mr Rosen. "I have a copy here for Mr O'Hara if he may…" There were no objections and so the sheet of paper was handed to Tommy. In the gallery, Sam and Santana glanced over at Trent, who could barely look up. They knew what was coming next - knew that in a few minutes there would be sheer horror in the faces around them, starting with Cooper and Sam, hitting the Warblers full on and then battering the New Directions. It was going to be ten times worse than finding out he had nearly killed Blaine and Artie at the hospital.

"Hunter knew that Blaine would eventually crumble - to quote Hunter, 'the weak curly haired fag is lost without his camp little friend, and will probably end himself.' He was going to give it another week before he took steps to force the matter - 'a tragic accident to that talentless, pointless actor brother of his' would probably be enough. If push came, however, then the next step would be carried out first. That would guarantee Blaine's demise. He had already sent Brent to check out the location and to take note of their movements. The next step in question was 'destroying the trout lipped blond moron that started all the questions' - Sam Evans. He intended to push him into suicide too. He knew that Blaine's death would affect him deeply, as 'he is probably a closet case that is getting it from Anderson too.' So to tip him over the edge, increase his sense of grief and loss to the maximum, he would remove his parents and siblings from the gene pool. Murder them in as horrific a manner as possible and make sure that he knew that it was all his fault. He'd be dead within an hour of hearing the news."

In the gallery there was silence, shock on every face. Sam was crying quietly in the arms of Burt. Brittany was already sobbing, and next to her, Tina had just completely shut down.

"Once he had got rid of Evans, he would move on to the real traitor. The 'fat little b*** that sung like a canary.' That ratted on his friends and destroyed all of Hunter's plans with his first hand evidence. How to deal with a sensitive soul like Trent Nixon? Break his heart over and over again, and leave him powerless. Hunter had Sean watching Trent's movements. He and Dan had been assigned to grab him, and hold him captive in the basement of Hunter's apartment building, in the first instance. They would move him later to a safe house in Ohio. His identity would then be stolen - a fake passport made up in Trent's name, but with my picture. Because he was going on a series of trips; to L.A.; to Harvard; to England; and finally, to Chicago."

In the gallery, Wes suddenly froze up. The four locations he had just named added up to trouble. He turned to David, who had also got it. He nodded at Wes, and made ready to grab Thad if necessary. Wes moved himself closer to Nick; Rory already had his arms wrapped around Trent, holding him close, his head buried in Rory's shoulder, his eyes hidden. But he wasn't crying…and Wes suddenly realised to his horror that Trent knew exactly what was coming - every detail. He must have been told by the police at some point. How long had he been hiding this knowledge? More importantly, just how bad was it?

"I was to go to L.A. first, and break into the dorm occupied by Thad Harwood and David Thompson. I was made aware that Thad always drank a mug of malted milk every night before bed. Hunter had been able to access a slow acting poison - tasteless and invisible when mixed with the malt powder" In the gallery Thad had frozen in horror, his eyes glazing over. "He wouldn't have felt any ill effects until the fourth day, by which time the three doses he had taken would have down irreparable damage. He would have died in agony after three more days." Those words caused Thad to pass out, slumping against David. "By that time, David would already be dead - the victim of a drive by shooting, in a tragic case of mistaken identity." David felt sick and dizzy at that, but he couldn't let himself collapse - Thad needed his support. "By then, I would be on my way to Harvard, to deal with, and I quote, 'the most revered Warbler of them all - the saintly Wes; so good and so pure that he makes me want to vomit.' He knew that Wes lived alone in a small, off-campus apartment. I was to break in and lie in wait for him - knock him out, then tie him to his bed, before dousing the room in flammable liquid. I was specifically told to wait until he had regained consciousness before lighting the flames, so that he would burn alive."

There was a collective gasp of horror from around the gallery. Thad had just come round in time to hear those final words, and promptly passed out again. Wes could feel the bile rising in his throat - instead of being there for Nick, he realised that their positions had been reversed. And Tommy's evidence still wasn't finished.

"I was then to head to England. His instructions are vague here; he also had no real concept of the distances involved - but I was to head for two university cities - Oxford and Cambridge; there I was to seek out Ethan and Drew; and by the time I left the UK, they were to be dead. His suggestion was some sort of road traffic accident or a mugging taken to extremes. Incidentally, at the same time as I was on a murder spree in the UK, he would have had someone else working for him at the opposite end of the earth - a US army private in Antarctica, by the name of Nate Roberts."

In the gallery, Beats and Flint had stared at each other when they heard the location - with the name they had confirmation, and the colour drained almost at once from their faces. He was the soldier that had been suddenly taken away from the expedition they had been on. Now they knew why.

"Apparently, a snowmobile was to go out of control and end up falling over the side of a crevasse - as you might have guessed, it was to have two other former Warblers on board at the time…"

In his seat next to Wes, Nick had a feeling of coldness spreading slowly through his body - other than Trent and Sebastian, those deaths would leave only two of the main core group of Warblers from Wes' day standing - himself and Jeff. There was also only one more destination for Tommy to head to. He braced himself for his turn, thankful that Jeff was not here to hear it.

"Finally, I was to return to the States and head for Chicago. To deal with 'those two insanely cheerful, deeply treacherous fags.' What I was to do to them was kidnap them. Hunter was going to deal with them himself, after he had finished what he wanted to do to Sebastian Smythe."

There was a pause at that point - enough time for the eyes of virtually everyone in the gallery to turn towards Sebastian, sat next to Dave. Instinctively, based on what they had just heard, Dave put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close.

"Sebastian was going to be the exception to the rule - he was not one of Wes' boys, so he was to be allowed to live. However, he was not going to like that. He was going to wish that he was dead. Hunter described him as a 'two-faced, duplicitous snake. A pathological liar. A cheap whore. Someone who deserved to suffer for a long time.' He thought that he would be able to get him to come and visit - he would then have used a date rape drug on him. Not to have sex with him, but to give him time to tie him up. Then, when he awoke, his punishment would start. He would have chopped of both his hands, perforated his ear drums, cut out his tongue and then gouged out both his eyes. He would live, but in a world of darkness and silence, unable to communicate with those around him. A living hell. That was to be his fate."

If Tommy had glanced up at that time, he would have seen Sebastian crying like a baby in Dave's arms, the latter barely controlling his own tears. His punishment would have been so much worse than death.

"That would have left Nick and Jeff. As I say, I was to kidnap them and take them to a location in Ohio, with a soundproofed cellar. I was to tie them up face to face and then leave, abandoning my Trent Nixon documentation - the airline tickets, hotel bills - in the room. The passport I was to take and destroy far away. Hunter intended to torture them - whatever he did to one, he would do to the other. He would drug them to keep them awake and conscious at all times, to ensure they witnessed everything. I refuse to read out his whole list - it is just too awful. It actually made me vomit on the night that I first saw it and still makes me nauseous now. I will just mention some of the areas that he intended to remove - left eye; right thumb; toes of left foot. He had a cutthroat razor - he intended to shave there heads with it dry - it was blunt and rusty. He had a blow torch; knuckle dusters; two vice clamps. In the end he had a spring loaded device of his own invention. He would have placed it between them, left eye socket to left eye socket. On releasing it, a spiked bolt…. I'm sorry, your honour, I can't read on."

As Tommy retched on the stand, Nick just stared blankly ahead. It was as if he had gone completely comatose to block out everything that he was hearing. Wes had his arms around him; on his other side, Carole held his hand, looking physically sick. She knew how much the poor boy had suffered already - more than most in the room, as it happened. This was very likely the final straw that could tip him over the edge and into insanity. At least the young man on the stand seemed to feel as sick as the rest of them.

"So with that, the Warblers were more or less history. All dead or mutilated. Except one. Trent Nixon, the tattle tale. Hunter wouldn't need to kill him. After all, the police would find all the incriminating evidence that they required lying next to the destroyed corpses of Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling…"

"To make matters even better, Hunter had set it up so that Trent would be on the scene. Whilst he was torturing his two best friends to death downstairs, a drugged Trent would have been sleeping in the room above. Having ended the lives of Nick and Jeff, he intended to allow Trent to wake up again, in a room where there would be only one apparent exit - the door to the basement. Imagine a scared young man waking up, disorientated and desperate to discover where he was - he would have opened that door, made his way downstairs, and found…. Whilst he was doing this, Hunter would have moved the furniture to reveal the other door, so that when Trent ran screaming from the basement, assuming that he hadn't died of shock on finding his friends, he would have run through it, to dial 911, to report everything. When the cops arrived, they would have found a pile of evidence connecting Trent to the deaths of the other Warblers, and his fingerprints all over the scene. He would have been the only suspect - the last Warbler standing. He would have been placed in custody. I think the words Hunter used were 'the soft sensitive fatso would not last two minutes on remand.' He was probably right - he would have been a prime target for the other inmates. What with that, the false accusations, and finding the severely mutilated bodies, he'd probably have taken his own life if it wasn't taken from him. And that would have been the end of the Dalton Warblers."

In the gallery, Trent could only nod in agreement. He knew it: if he had found them the way he had heard it described, he would not have been able to survive. Not with all the others gone too. But he knew that the final sting in the tail still had to be delivered.

"No-one would have suspected that Hunter had any involvement. Not him, the fortunate ex-Warbler that had not been targeted by the sick, mentally unstable Trent Nixon. Hunter's revenge was not over though. He wanted to remove any risk that somebody would realise that Trent was exactly what he seemed - sweet and innocent. Put two and two together and realise that he was the guilty party. He knew that a year to the day after Kurt died, his sappy friends in the New Directions would hold some sort of memorial for him; for Finn, Blaine and Sam. Probably in their old hangout of Breadstix in Lima. It would be so easy to find out - they would book it for a private party. All of them assembled in one place to commemorate their late friends. It would be so easy to get into a place like that; to put explosives under the tables. Then to have a tragic 'gas explosion' wipe out the rest of the New Directions…"

In the gallery there was stunned silence, at first. Then Brittany burst into tears in Santana's arms. The others just sat in disbelief. Had he really intended to do that? End all of their lives because he was caught out cheating? He was insane, that much was clear. He would have destroyed them all. "I never thought I'd say this," said Quinn in a whisper, "but thank God that Sebastian got that text and told Blaine. Otherwise…we owe him our lives. Every one of us." It was a statement that nobody could argue with.

"Couple of days after that, the cops turned up at Hunter's door, with a warrant for his arrest. The idiot was so confident that he would not be caught that the baseball bat was still in a closet - still splattered with Kurt Hummel's blood. I was taken in because Hunter started to blame me from the moment they slapped the cuffs on him. He's a coward deep down - refuses to accept blame for anything that he does. Everything is down to someone else, whether it is his parents, his school, his peers. Never Hunter. I had made up my mind on that long before then. But I was scared of what he would do to me if I went to the police. Based on the evidence, he would have killed me and buried my body somewhere it would never be found. My only relief was that he had put the deaths of all the Warblers in my hands. I know that you might not believe me, but the moment I got to L.A., I was going to go and knock on the door of Thad and David's dorm, and tell them everything. Hope that the police would be sympathetic to me. It is one of the reasons that I am here, telling it how it was. I am so grateful that he was caught out before the Evans family could be targeted. I just wish that I could have done something to save Kurt and Blaine. I will live with their deaths on my conscience until my final breath."


	38. Cross Examination of Tommy O'Hara

**February 24****th**** 2014: Reaction; Cross Examination of Tommy O****'****Hara**

Once Tommy had finished, the judge called a break for lunch. The majority of the room quickly left, but in the gallery, none of the Warblers moved. The New Directions left for lunch with Burt and Carole, to talk through the crisis together. Once they had left, the silence was broken by a scream of anguish from Nick, who had been staring blankly ahead since he had found out Hunter's intentions for himself and Jeff. He was swiftly pulled into Grace's arms - she had also remained behind. It was the trigger that set everyone else off. Wes blinked back his own tears as Thad wailed in his arms. Next to him, David had taken hold of Sebastian and Trent, as Dave and Rory looked on - they both knew that at this point, the Warblers proper needed to bond together. Beats and Flint were then drawn into the circle.

"He was supposed to be our friend. He was teaching us how to drive the snowmobile, and all the time, it was so that we could have an accident…" sobbed Flint.

"He wanted to destroy all of us; so that he could wipe out the group of Warblers that had been celebrated as decent and honest; a band of brothers. But to set it up so it looked like Trent had done it - that's sick," said David quietly.

Suddenly Nick stopped screaming and looked at the clock. "Guys, we can't tell Jeff any of this. If he finds out before he goes on the stand tomorrow, he'll lose it. He'll be better than useless. So we have to pull ourselves together; go out there and be happy and smiling for him. I know it is a big ask, but we have to. Tomorrow night we can tell him - until then…"

"We act as if nothing untoward has happened. Nick's right. So, best show faces everyone - and that's an order," said Wes. There were nods of agreement - eyes were wiped and noses blown. They straightened themselves out and filed out of the gallery. As they did so, Wes stopped Trent, and held him back until everyone else had left. "I know. I know that you knew all about this before today. We will talk about it later. You've been very brave to bear all of this alone, my young friend. I am proud of you, so very proud of you." With that, he pulled Trent into a deep hug.

Outside the court, Nick's scream had been heard by the majority of the New Directions alumni, who had stopped to talk outside; the exceptions being Mike and Tina, the latter being in such a state of shock that Mike had taken her home so that she could lie down in a darkened room for the rest of the day. As he screamed, they all looked at each other - at the look of shock on each others' faces. They all felt so badly for the Warblers, who had been slated to die in such horrible ways.

"Guys, we need to be there for them for a while. I know that we were all part of the plot too, but our projected demise was a lot less brutal than theirs," said Sam.

Santana joined in at that point. "And we make sure that Jeff doesn't find out yet - I'm sure that Nick would agree on that. He doesn't need to know this yet - we can't keep it from him forever, but until his day in court is over, we say nothing. I'm just glad that it's finally out in the open…" She realised that she had said too much as Quinn fixed a glare on her, Puck following - and Sam face palmed. "Trent knew - the cops told him. He told Sam, mainly because he needed to tell someone, and I overheard."

"When did you find out?" said Artie quietly.

"Thanksgiving," said Sam. "We've had to deal with the secret for the 3 months. I'm just glad that it is out in the open. But guys, until you hear otherwise, no mention of the fact that Trent knew to the Warblers." There were nods of agreement. They then left for lunch, a subdued affair, before heading back to court to witness Tommy's cross examination.

* * *

"You tell quite the tale, Mr O'Hara," began Mr Masterton. "Paint my client as a mastermind of death; and it is hard to argue with the evidence of his hand-written list. But there is the thing - did my client write this of his own free will, or was he coerced into doing so by the real boss of the situation - his former leader? You. A man who allowed a young student in his charge to be shot on a training day. A man with a penchant for violent horror films. A man who polluted the mind of a young boy and turned him into a killing machine!"

"Now," said Tommy, "I have heard some nonsense in my time, but that has to be the biggest load of claptrap I have ever heard. Yes, I watch horror films - I did own a copy of all the _Saw_ films; of the film _Hostel_. I also owned a copy of _The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_, but I didn't see anyone being hacked to death by one on Hunter's list. So, as I already said, I was nowhere near Hunter on the day he shot Mark. I was in charge of the opposing team. It is recorded in the Academy's official report, which I presume you read? The only reason that I was given any part of the blame was because I was in official charge of Hunter's dorm, and I hadn't reported his earlier abusive behaviour towards Mark. Mainly because I didn't want him labelled as gay by the Academy. Which, by the way, it turns out he isn't. Last I heard, he has a girlfriend, and she is pregnant with his child. He is far more straight than Hunter."

"But your love of violent films could easily have influenced my client in his behaviour."

"Or it could just as easily have been his own collection of dvds; his pile of horror stories; and all the violent videos that he watched online. Again, all of this is documented in the official expulsion report. I obtained a copy - seems like you didn't even bother to try and read it!"

"I was provided with a copy, yes, but didn't see its relevance to this case."

"Pity. It would have made a lot of things clear to you. Told you about his sadistic behaviour towards the other students, towards animals; his lack of social skills; his psychopathic tendencies. His expulsion only came after multiple warnings, after each of which any other student would have been expelled - but money talks."

"Yet, knowing all of this, you still willingly took a job from him?"

"What can I say - the money was good and I was in a hole. I thought that it would involve me talking to a few high school toughs; possibly even the Principal of the school in question. I wasn't thinking straight. Plus, it meant a reunion with Dan, who had been a good guy, before Hunter got his claws into him. I wish now, so much, that I had steered clear. But he knew my secret, even then - just like I knew his…" There was a murmur of interest in that around the court, but to their dismay, Tommy went on "…but to reveal that - well, it has no relevance to this case."

"Are you trying to tell us that having accused my client of being a blackmailer, you were plotting exactly the same course on him? Perhaps you blackmailed him into this whole course of events? Started off something that lead to the deaths of three people and threatened the lives of others? Ruined my client, and his uncle. I put it to you that it was all your idea, wasn't it, Mr O'Hara? You alone are the liar, the blackmailer, the guilty one here. Not my poor innocent client!"

Tommy just stood and shook his head. "Hunter Clarington a poor innocent boy. Don't make me laugh. If this is the course you want to take, then fine by me. Would an innocent like him have been sent from one school to another for years? If he is so sweet and easily lead, then why would no school want to take him after expulsion from Eisenhower? That he only got enrolled at Dalton because his uncle became Principal is common knowledge. He was the only one that would ignore his catalogue of misdemeanours; the list of attacks on those that wronged him. I was given a lot of background information on Hunter when he first enrolled at Eisenhower. He was expelled from his first elementary school for stabbing a boy who had broken his pencil accidentally. He was expelled from his next for trying to drown a boy who had called him out for lying in class. I could go on… At Eisenhower, he was constantly in fights. Each and every time, he was not sent down because his father paid hush money. He was desperate for Hunter to do well. Hunter had an older brother - but he had issues, and the family had sent him away, into the system. Washed their hands of him in favour of Hunter. He should never have been allowed near the live ammo in my opinion, but Dan let him. I know why - wasn't going to say, but you've pushed me. Hunter had got hold of a quantity of whiskey - more than one bottle. I was away from school - Dan was a fool and let Hunter throw a party in the dorm. Let them get drunk, and allowed Hunter to ply him with alcohol too. At some point that night, Hunter assaulted three people sexually. By that, I mean rape. One of the boys he attacked was only 14. He tried to kill himself a few weeks later. He didn't succeed, but was left with scars and nightmares. He was paid off by Mr Clarington. And one of his other victims was Dan. Who he knew had strict, religious parents who would kill him for it. The perfect set up for blackmail."

After that revelation, there wasn't really much more that could be said. As the gallery sat stunned, the prosecution lawyer, Mr Rosen, sat quietly as Mr Masterton desperately sought some way to come back from this. There wasn't one - if Hunter had made any kind of denial, had even just sat still, then maybe. Instead, Hunter had jumped up and started to shout that Tommy was dead; "as soon as I get out of here, I'll kill you. You're just jealous because it wasn't you, you fag!" That last line had Masterton burying his head in his hands and the judge banging her gavel like no-ones business, calling for Hunter to be taken down to the cells. In the gallery, the shock turned to delight as they realised that Hunter had just dug himself a huge hole. Looking down at the stand, Wes found himself smiling as Tommy caught his eye, and winked. Wes felt genuinely sorry for the young man; he had fallen into the orbit of a serial blackmailer - he had allowed himself to be manipulated, but at least he was showing signs of remorse, by coming forward and implicating Hunter. He was not sure of the level of protection that he was going to be given - but he hoped that he would be kept out of harm.


	39. WOHN News 8 - February 24th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 24****th**

_More dramatic developments today in the Clarington Trial in New York - our report tonight comes from… Sue Sylvester. Sue, where is Jacob, and what took place?_

"Andrea, in answer to your first question, Jacob I last saw vomiting copiously after the sheer horror of what he heard today. Today was the last day of the prosecution case, and they were represented by one of Hunter Clarington's former accomplices, who changed sides as part of a plea bargain. Normally, I don't hold with these liberal ideas. If you are guilty then you should be punished to the letter of the law, regardless. But for once, I'm for it. What the young man told the court today was proof that Hunter Clarington was a sick, twisted by-product of the military school system. The deaths of Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel were just his two successful attempts - he shot a boy at his military academy for being gay; stabbed a boy at elementary school; tried to drown another; and had he not been caught out, would have embarked on a killing spree which would have left a dozen or so dead in its first phase alone. Not just dead, but tortured and killed in a series of increasingly macabre ways - the most brutal ways left for the gay ex-Warblers. Ironic, given that Hunter had also raped three of his classmates at his military academy."

"I've said it before, and now, I will repeat it. Hunter should be on trial in Ohio, where the death penalty is on the statute books and remains in use. If New York wishes to reinstate it forthwith, then I will happily volunteer for the job of executioner. Anyway, tomorrow the defence tables their sole witness - a Warbler. Quite why Jeff Sterling is taking to the stand to defend someone who tortured him and his fellow Warblers - even his fiancé Nick Duval - is beyond me, but I suspect that he isn't doing it willingly. There have been many surprises so far in this case, and I am pretty certain there are more to come. This has been Sue Sylvester, reporting live from New York, replacing a sick Jacob Ben Israel. More from here this time tomorrow."

* * *

As soon as he was allowed out of the witness room that day, Jeff knew that something had been said that day in court that had changed things; something that had left his fellow Warblers in a state of disbelief and shock. He had noticed how, after lunch, even the guard in the witness room had looked at him with pity. He wasn't stupid - he knew when the Warblers were putting on a show. He had done it himself more than once. He was grateful to them, as he imagined that whatever had been said had been so shocking that they did not want to upset him unduly before he took his turn on the stand tomorrow. He would play along, even though he already knew the main point of what Tommy had said - that Hunter's plan involved his death.

He was relieved that the moment was finally upon him - the eleven days that he had spent in the witness room had been so long. Sure he had got some good drawing done and had read a couple of the texts for his college course well before it started. If he was ever asked to play Fanny Brice, well he knew the part word for word. At the same time, he was dreading being the centre of attention. He had never craved the limelight. He had auditioned for solos back in the Warblers, but that was different. He had the support of his fellow Warblers right behind him. This time, he wouldn't even have Nick. His poor Nick, who had been in court most days, listening to every word, then curled up around him in bed each night. He knew that he would be Nick's priority tonight, prepping him for the next day. He had a feeling that tonight at least, things should be the other way round. He would try his best to do that.

There was a small shock for Jeff that night. Two people waiting for him at the door of the loft in Bushwick, that he had spoken to only briefly since their acrimonious falling out in early December - his mom and dad. Nick was as startled as he was, but at the same time, seemed a little relieved. They allowed themselves to be taken out to dinner at a small Italian restaurant that had been recommended to Jeff's parents by some friends.

"It is nice to see you," began Jeff, once they had ordered, "but why now? Since you heard that Nick and I had got engaged in November, you have avoided me. What has changed?"

Jeff's father sighed, and began. "When you told us, we were shocked. It seemed far too fast. You had only been a couple for about six months, and then only after Nick had a sudden revelation in your last days at Dalton. We have no problem with you being together, it just seemed so rushed. That is why we reacted the way that we did. It really hurt us when you didn't even come to visit us at Christmas, and that is when it really hit us. You are our son, Jeff. You are our future. From the day that we adopted you, all we ever wanted was for you to be as happy as you could be. But old people like us are stubborn - won't back down even when we know we are in the wrong. Then we heard the reports from the trail. What had happened to Sebastian. And we finally understood why you had a breakdown. I went to speak to your former Principal, ad he told me that you had been called, unwillingly, as a witness for the defence. I don't know why you are on that side of the case, and just now, I don't want to. It did make us both realise that we needed to be here, to show you that we love you and support you. Both of you. Tomorrow when you take the stand, we will be in the gallery with everyone else, to support you through one of the worst days of your life so far."

Jeff smiled, and was about to speak when his mom started to. "In the last weeks we have had time to think about things - to reassess our priorities. I also had a long chat with Carole Hummel before she left Lima. She said something to me that really struck home. When Kurt called his dad to say that he was getting married, Burt flew off the handle. Just like we did when the two of you told us that you had exchanged rings. She told him that he and Blaine were adults - it was going to happen one day, so why not now. Life is too short, and sometimes, you just have to accept things. Which, of course, he did. It meant that he was in New York that night; meant that he could hold the hand of his dying son and try to pass on what little comfort he could. I don't want to miss your wedding day because we fell out over it being too soon. So, can I get a look at your ring, Jeff? Because I want to see if my future son-in-law's choice is up to my standards."

As Jeff held out his hand, Mr Sterling patted Nick on the back to welcome him to the family, and then begged him to let him know in advance when the wedding would be. Even if it was next week, they would be happy for them. Nick laughed, knowing deep down that Mr Sterling would probably throttle him if he said as much. He did jokingly say August, which earned him a glance from Jeff which said 'Really? I'm game if you are…' It looked as if the subject would be up for discussion in a very few days, once the whole nightmare of the trial was over. Neither realised that the other was thinking that August, just before starting college, would be perfect. That it was a definite go.

It wasn't too late that evening when they returned to the loft, to discover it deserted. A note from Wes on the table informed them that he and Sebastian had gone over to the other loft for dinner. They did not need to discuss going over - they both knew that all the other wanted to do was get to bed, to sleep and prepare for the next day. They shared a bath first, into which Nick poured enough bubble bath to drown them both in foam. Although they started at opposite ends, they ended up as they nearly always did, with Jeff lying in Nick's arms, the latter running his fingers through his fiancés hair. They did not linger in the bath as long as usual - they dried off and went to bed with a mug of hot chocolate each. By the time that Wes came back over at ten, they were sound asleep in each others arms. The sight warmed his heart on such a terrible day. He had tried so hard not to have his favourites as head of the Warblers, but after Klaine, these two had always come a close second. 'If only they had got their act together sooner,' he thought. If nothing else, it would have saved him and the others from the copious quantity of texts and E-mails whenever Jeff was feeling down; about why Nick never noticed, how he was clueless, how everyone else knew. That was in the past know, and he was looking forward to the day when he received his invitation to their wedding. Just as long as it didn't end up the same way as the Klaine wedding. Please, God, not that again. He couldn't cope with that. After everything that they had been through, they all deserved some happiness.


	40. Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part I

**February 25****th**** 2014: Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part One**

On the Tuesday morning, the trial made it on to the cover of the _New York Times _for the first time. The headline 'Sick Plot of Ohio Killer' stared out at them from the copies that both Burt and Wes read at the breakfast table, the latter hiding it from Jeff. Nick was trying to force the young man in question to eat, telling him that he needed to keep his energy levels up for the long day ahead, standing in front of a packed court. He was quietly concerned at just how calm his fiancé seemed. The nerves of the weekend seemed to have vanished; they had not seemed so obvious last night either, when he thought about it. It was no doubt due to the fact that now the day was upon him, he had become happier as it was almost over, and things could return to normal. Well, as near normal as possible with the void left by Finn, Kurt and Blaine. He realised that Jeff had finished his pancakes and was now smiling at him. Nick looked at him with pride - in his suit, his tie straight, his hair lightly held in place with styling wax, he looked so smart. Ready to face his big day.

Inside, Jeff was in turmoil. He had eaten his breakfast to keep Nick happy. Normally he loved pancakes with syrup, but today he had shovelled them in without tasting them. This was the moment that he had dreaded for so long; but he had made a big decision after yesterday, when he had been left alone in the witness room for a couple of minutes with Tommy O'Hara. He had realised at once who Jeff was, and knew he had been coerced into appearing for the defence. Had told him exactly why he shouldn't. Last night he had seen through the show faces of his fellow Warblers - he knew some of what they had heard from Tommy. Then, that morning, he had seen the article in the paper - Wes had not realised he was around, and had left it on the table whilst he went back to his room. It had taken him less than a minute to read how they had all been slated to die, and that Trent was to be framed. And when he had read about himself and Nick - he had struggled not to be sick. So, he had a choice to make, and he knew what it had to be. He had to have the courage of his convictions, and hope that nothing would be altered by it. Particularly with Nick - he could not bear to lose him now.

"Calling Jeff Sterling." As the words echoed around the court, they did so to a full public gallery. No-one was missing. A full compliment of Warblers, all the original New Directions (even Rachel had taken time out of her rehearsals), Burt and Carole, Dave Karofsky, Grace Duval and to everyone's shock, her mother. Her appearance had taken Nick aback, and he was glad to be ensconced at the front between Wes and Trent, with the Sterlings behind him. In the press box, Jacob and Sue sat side by side, each eyeing the other with mild hatred. The murmur of chatter died as Jeff strode onto the stand, his head held high, and his eyes fixed in a glare on Hunter, looking smug and self satisfied in the dock. He felt so glad that he still had the power to control one person, one key person, who would stand there and paint him in golden tones. Tell everybody that he has as much a victim as everyone else, under the control of his wicked uncle; his mind scrambled by years of abuse from his parents, a lack of love and kindness. With that from Jeff, and his own testimony the following day, he should get a light sentence - maybe even a non-custodial one if his father's money and influence played in his favour. It always had done before - everyone had their price. Even a stupid blond fag like Jeff Sterling could be bought…

As Jeff stood on the stand, he could feel himself starting to panic. He looked up to the gallery, to the reassuring faces of Nick, Wes and Trent. He took a deep breath, and began. "I was a member of the Dalton Warblers for four years. I joined as a freshman alongside Sebastian Smythe - he left for Paris before the end of that first year. I was shy and nervous - I had come to Dalton after being bullied so badly at my previous school that I attempted suicide."

There was a gasp from the gallery - Nick and Wes looked at each other in shock. This was not what they had expected - Jeff had always guarded that secret so closely, and now it seemed that he was about to reveal everything. Had they not been so worried for Jeff, they might have seen the sudden look of panic on Hunter's face…

"By the end of that year, thanks to the friendship of good people like Wes, David, Thad, Flint, Beats, Drew and Ethan, I felt part of something. I was no longer the odd one out, the strange gay boy. I was part of a team, and I was happy. Then there was Trent, my classmate and friend. Not a Warbler at first - he had felt he was 'not the type'. When I heard him sing, I knew that he was. I encouraged him to audition when we needed a replacement for Sebastian, and he was selected unanimously. Then in sophomore year, along came two new kids, Blaine and Nick… Ah, Nick. The moment that I saw him that first morning of sophomore year, I fell. I knew at first sight that he was the man that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. My gaydar went off, and I was sure. He kept saying that he was straight, but I worked on it, and now he's my fiancé…"

Jeff stopped, and blushed. "Sorry, went a bit off track there. So in sophomore year, Nick and Blaine joined me and Trent in the Warblers. Wes was in charge; Blaine was a sensation and became the youngest lead soloist in years. Then along came a countertenor - came as a spy, returned as a Warbler, and became the love of Blaine's life. Blaine was so clueless at first, but once he began to come round, I was only too happy to help push him in the right direction. The only thing was that Kurt went back to McKinley in the end, and Blaine followed him. We began my junior year having lost Blaine and Wes - we got Sebastian back, but that wasn't a good swap, at first. He became infatuated with Blaine - hated Kurt as a result. The feeling was mutual back then - Kurt was forever saying that he smelt of Craigslist."

There was a short burst of laughter from David and Thad at that, which they stifled almost immediately.

"But then a number of factors came along, one after the other, that caused him to reconsider his position. I think a lot of that was down to the fact that he fell in love with Dave Karofsky, even though he wouldn't admit it. He changed, and for the better. We all ended up as good friends - ok, so maybe not Kurt and Sebastian, but the four of us at Dalton were happy. At the end of that year, the Warblers lost six good men; but that just meant that our time was about to come. Sebastian was the lead soloist and the three council positions were as good as ours - Nick as head, Trent as deputy, and me as the secretary. I was the best at note taking, and knew all the traditions. But then, Principal Carmichael announced his retirement. It didn't seem like a big deal at first - the Warblers ran themselves after all. It shouldn't have changed anything. It actually changed everything. None of us came out of Senior year unscathed - not even Trent. It was the worst year of my life…"

"The rot began at our second Warbler meeting of the year, the one where there should have been an election for the council. Strictly speaking, there was. Our new Principal had to officiate as there were no council members in situ from the previous year. He arrived, with Hunter in tow. He unsettled me from the moment that I saw him. He reminded me of something bad. Stupid, silly fears I thought at the time, but it turned out it was a premonition of all that would come. He was pushed in as a candidate for the role of Head of Council, the job that should have been Nick's. Trent and I had agreed to let him stand unopposed. The vote take place - Nick Duval, continuity and tradition; or Hunter Clarington, win at all costs. The younger boys voted overwhelmingly for winning. It backfired on them when Hunter's first act was to abolish the council, and make himself Captain instead, with Sebastian as his unwitting second in command. You see, he couldn't depose Sebastian - the only person that could have pushed him from his lead soloist position was Blaine. We all considered leaving at that point, but we felt that we owed it to our predecessors to stay and try and prevent too much from changing. I wish that we had just left. It might have saved us all from the pain that would follow; might even have saved Finn, Kurt and Blaine. But we stayed, and at the next meeting, things got worse for me…"

"Hunter worked on the principle that everyone has a secret that they do not want made common knowledge. He wasn't entirely right - Trent was blameless and Nick is an open book. He knew what Sebastian had been up to in Paris; he knew other secrets, and he knew both of mine, making me a prime target for his blackmail. The first secret was my suicide attempt, but it wasn't that one that he used on me then…and used to get me here now. But I'm not scared of him anymore. I know what your plans were, Hunter. As a result, I'm not prepared to play the game in the way that you thought…"

In the gallery there were looks of shock, questioning stares at Nick and at Jeff's parents, but they were all just as baffled by this turn of events.

"Your honour, the only reason that I agreed to come here and give evidence on the defence side was because of what he still held over me - a secret so big that he is the only person in this room that knows it. He proved it to me at that next meeting. He asked me to remain behind - even chased Nick out of the room when he tried to stay and checked he wasn't listening at the door. His opening line - "So, Jeffrey." Nobody ever calls me that - I am Jeff, because that is what I like. For some reason, hearing my full name gave me shivers. He told me that he knew that I was adopted; moreover, he knew why my biological parents had given me up. Now, Nick and Wes knew all about this - it wasn't really good enough material for a blackmail attempt - there was nothing to be ashamed of. It was his next move that chilled me - he told me that he never forgot a face, not since he was a tiny boy. Then he pulled out the photo, and I saw myself at age six - with my real parents." Jeff paused, his face flushed and his breathing rapid. "Then he produced my birth certificate - I remembered enough from the fleeting glimpse he gave me of it to be able to obtain a copy of my own…"

He proceeded to pull a piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to the clerk, who in turn passed it to the judge. She unfolded it - and gasped. That gasp sent a shockwave around the court - what has she just read that shocked her so much?

Nick was increasingly concerned for Jeff - his eyes seemed manic, his breathing was loud and his face was deathly pale. He wanted nothing more than to run down to the stand, drag him out of the court and take him home. He knew that he couldn't.

"The evidence was there - irrefutable. Written down in black and white. He knew even then that if it came out, then I would potentially be as despised as he already was. He knew what he could achieve with the information. Knew that I would do anything to prevent that secret coming out. But not anymore, Hunter. I am not scared of you. In the end, you are just another bully and I need to stand up to you. If everyone knows, then you can't use it and you have no hold on me. Nick loves me, and that won't change. The Warblers love me, and that won't change. Nothing will change, apart from me, because I will finally be free of you. Ladies and gentleman, the name I was given on my birth certificate is…." He paused and took a deep breath. "…is Jeffrey…. Gordon…."

He stopped, as confusion reigned in the public gallery.

"Take your time, Mr Sterling. This must be difficult for you," said the judge sympathetically.

Jeff sucked in another deep breath, closed his eyes, and started again.

"The name on my birth certificate is Jeffrey Gordon…"

He shivered, and finally spoke the last word..

"…Clarington."


	41. Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part II

**February 25****th**** 2014: Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part Two**

_Jeff sucked in another deep breath, closed his eyes, and started again._

"_The name on my birth certificate is Jeffrey Gordon__…"_

_He shivered, and finally spoke the last word.._

"…_Clarington.__"_

There was silence.

Stunned silence.

The full enormity of what they had just heard was sinking in.

'His surname is Clarington…he is Hunter's brother! The older one sent away into the system,' thought Nick. 'My poor Jeffie, no wonder he kept that hidden.'

Around Nick, there was a growing hubbub of conversation. The Sterlings were staring at Hunter in horror - how could someone so evil be related to their beautiful son? Burt and Carole were struck dumb - how could someone have done so much to hurt their own brother? The boy that had killed their sons had no redeeming features whatsoever. Amongst the New Directions there was no anger towards Jeff - they felt sorry for the poor boy before them. His whole life had been turned upside down in a moment at that meeting - he had been forced to live with his secret, in silence, for so long. No wonder that he had broken down halfway through the previous year.

There was similar sympathy amongst the Warblers. They had all known that Jeff had to have been under particular stress to agree to take the steroids. They had guessed that Hunter had been holding something over him - they had not known exactly what, but now that they did, it all made sense. This was not something that could be lightly swept away, and Hunter had known that at the time. The connection between them was weak, but it would have been enough to make Jeff fear being tarred with the same brush.

He was looking up at them now. Jeff saw their sympathy, written large on every face. Wes was actually crying, so shocked at what he had heard and what his poor Starling had been through. But now he was being so very strong, so brave. He was standing up to be counted; to make amends for all that had happened. Wes knew Jeff - he knew that he would be feeling so guilty that he had helped to get them all involved in this, especially his poor Nick, who would never have taken the steroids if he hadn't. As for Nick, he was smiling down at Jeff, mouthing the words 'I love you' over and over again, his hand clasped firmly over his heart. Sending all his love and strength to him. Jeff, seeing that, felt every bit of it. He was ready to start again - to reveal the full horror of what had happened at Dalton under the control of Hunter.

"He knew my secret and as a consequence, he had me under his control. Through me, he knew that he had power over Nick. He had Sebastian where he wanted him too. Three of the four senior members of the Warblers. The problem was Trent - deeply moral, kind hearted, a stickler for the rules. He knew him too, of course - knew what his weak spots were. He worried about his physique. It never bothered the rest of us, because he had a great voice. He could harmonise so well, and could pick up his part in a song in moments. He wasn't a bad dancer either. We all loved him. He was the Sunshine of the Warblers, our perpetually cheery, rosy cheeked friend. He was always alongside me and Nick. That was his spot in the line up in rehearsal from day one. That all changed once I was in Hunter's power. The very next meeting, Hunter announced that we needed to change our positioning. Nick and I stayed together, in the second row, right behind Sebastian. Trent was moved to the back row, far left. That was the first attack of many on Trent. Nick tried to argue with Hunter on Trent's behalf, but he was told that he could join him at the back if he liked - and I could move to the front with Hunter and Sebastian. Trent told him it wasn't worth fighting. That he didn't really mind. That was the first of many blows delivered to the four of us by Hunter - the next was his edict that Warblers were to be solely that. No other clubs or societies permitted. Trent only had the Warblers, so ironically, he was the least affected. It hurt the rest of us - Sebastian was the star of the lacrosse team; they protested to the Principal about it, but all that happened was that they lost half their funding. Nick had to give up the debating society, which left them without their leader. As for me, I had to give up Art Club - I lost my outlet for stress. The Art mistress said nothing - she was wiser than the lacrosse coach."

"We were all now free every day after school to rehearse; but it ceased to be just singing. He introduced an exercise regime - sit-ups, handstands, even barbells to lift. It was a strain for all of us, even Sebastian. For Trent, it was a nightmare. There were choreography sessions, where we had to copy the routines of teams from China, I think, or Korea. We barely had breath to execute the exercise and dances, let alone sing as well. He added a compulsory Saturday rehearsal, firstly just in the morning, then for most of the day. He monitored our diet when we were in school. He made us fast one day a week to increase our stamina - woe betide anyone caught with so much as a breath mint on a fasting day. That was when a punishment would be handed out. He was very free with his hands - a slap, a Chinese burn, a twist to a wrist. At first, that was all, then it progressed to a punch to the chest. Finally, the paddle appeared. The younger boys were the ones that got punished first. Not as strong possibly. That was when Sebastian started to step in - it shocked me as he had always been so selfish; now, he was taking the blows for the little ones. In a way, he took on the role that Wes had in the good old days - the loving brother, caring for his young charges. I could see the strain building on him as he tried to wear two hats. He was powerless to prevent the worst excesses. He had to stand by and let Hunter destroy the reputation of the group - like me, he was too afraid to do otherwise."

"I had my own worries at the time. All the exercises, the running and jumping was taking its toll on Nick. He had never been very athletic you see, and now he had been thrust into an extreme fitness regime. But he refused to do less, in case Hunter punished me. Even though the two of us were just friends at that time, I would have done anything to protect him - problem was, he felt exactly the same about me. And that meant that when the crunch moment came, he followed me. The day that we arrived in the Senior Commons to find the vials and syringes on the old council table, now Hunter's control desk, I was terrified. Next to those, there was an empty cage, the home of our mascot, Domingo. Hunter said that his first sad duty was to report that someone had left the door of his cage open, and he had flown away through an open window. I knew that was a blatant lie - I was the last one out of the room the previous day, and I had covered his cage before I left. The door was then locked behind me by Hunter. The only way that Domingo could have flown away was if someone had entered the room after that and done it - and Hunter had the only key. And that day, his darn cat looked mighty content, as he sat there and stroked it like some third rate Bond villain. He then proceeded to remind the Warblers that the last person that most of us had seen him with was the person that had fed him that day - Trent. He didn't say that Trent did it, but by God did he imply it. Even Trent began to doubt himself. Then he turned to the other items on the table, and told us what was going to happen. If we didn't do it, then we were out."

"I knew at that moment that Nick and Trent would instinctively say no. Their sense of fair play, their decency and honesty would make them refuse. I would have declined too if it wasn't for the look that I got at that moment from Hunter - the look that said 'You do this or everyone finds out - that the scourge of the Warblers is your brother. The guy that you know has just fed your mascot to his cat for fun. And then, I will hurt Nick.' I looked around for help - to Sebastian. But he just sat there, staring straight ahead, his expression just as defeated as mine must have been at that moment. I knew that he was in the same boat as me - powerless to stop this. As guilty as me that our weakness was dragging everyone else down. At least he didn't have to worry about Nick. No-one would have done anything to protect Sebastian. Sounds terrible, but it was true."

"We were made to line up - I tried to push Nick into the line before me, so that he could make his own choice, but Hunter split us up - make Nick stand near the back, behind Trent. He put me at the front, behind Sebastian. He rolled up his sleeve - his first act was to inject Hunter; then their positions were reversed and he injected Seb. Then, it was my turn. I froze - and just for a moment, I thought about saying no. No more. Do your worst to me, Hunter, but you're not going to do this to my Nicky. He must have realised that, because he whispered in my ear "Roll up your sleeve, Jeffrey, or tomorrow, I will drug Nick and take him. I might not be a fag like you, but a tight ass like his…." So, I had no choice. I cried and pleaded with him, but he just looked over at Nick, turned to me, and winked. I knew he meant what he said - I couldn't let him rape Nick. Ironically, getting him on steroids was the best option. As the needle went in, I started to sob. I was going to damage Nick, but I had to do it to save him. Whichever choice I made, I would lose and so would he. This way, he lost less."

"I looked up afterwards - I had heard Nick's gasp of horror as he saw what I had done. Trent just looked at me - but not in anger; there was sympathy there. I think he knew that I wasn't a willing participant, that something had been said to make me do it. Certainly, he never rebuked any of us for doing what we did, and he could have easily afterwards. Nick's face was a mix of shock and horror - with a liberal dose of disappointment. I couldn't look at him any more, after that. I was shaking as I cried, literally falling apart. Sebastian took me in his arms and let me sob. As he did, he whispered in my ear "This will end and we will get him. We will make him pay. Someone will notice and intervene. They have to." Then I heard Trent, my bravest friend, standing up to him and refusing to take the steroids. I knew what it meant to him, to be part of the Warblers. It made him feel part of something. He had been through a lot of bullying over the years; had been as shy as me in freshman year. Being a Warbler had made him the sassy, confident star he was, and is. He was moral and guilt free, so he had the chance to make a stand. Hunter didn't even try to persuade him to stay - he had wanted him out from day one. He ripped the Warbler pin from his blazer and told him to leave. Never to return to the room, and to stay away from those of us who were loyal to their leader; their school; to the new Warblers. He walked out, his head held high. Amongst the shocked chatter, Sebastian whispered "There goes a good man - if anyone can get people to notice, it's Trent. We need to help him…" I couldn't have agreed more."

"I was hoping beyond hope that Nick, inspired by his stand, would follow suit. I almost shouted at him to go, to run, to follow Trent. But there he was, sleeve rolled up, tears streaming down his face, as Hunter lifted the syringe, found the spot and… It all went in slow motion. It was like watching in helpless horror as a speeding car careens towards a child dashing across the road, oblivious to the danger. The paralysing loss of hope; the death of joy; the feeling in your mind screaming out 'Why? Don't let this happen! How can God let this happen!' I was watching my best friend die. I was letting him throw away his values, his decency, for me. It broke my heart, and doing so, broke his. But it was all too late now - all was ruined. He now had a guilty secret like me. He was on drugs."

"Afterwards, as the last two boys were injected - freshmen that were blindly following our example, Nick came over to me and Sebastian. His eyes red, his expression blank. He should have punched me, kicked out, growled at me how much he detested me. He didn't - he told me he was tired, and asked for a hug. He took one without waiting for my answer. That set me crying again, which set him off. Suddenly, another set of arms had wrapped around the two of us - Sebastian, who was whispering "I'm sorry that you've been dragged into this. It's all my fault." Then the nightmare was over. He was ushering us out of the room; telling us to be early the next day. I left with my arm around Nick - we saw Trent, saw Hunter push him out of the way. Presumably he reminded him to stay away. "We're not going to," I heard Nick say. I knew that was true. He was my oldest friend at Dalton, and not even Hunter was going to end that, however difficult he made it for us."

"The three of us - me, Nick and Sebastian - stuck together from then on. Sebastian had always been a friend, but we had never been close to each other. Now, it all changed. Sebastian had the most difficult job. He had to be Hunter's right hand man, and at the same time, everyone else's friend. He was in a difficult position, but he saved a lot of people from a lot of pain. Hunter wanted to get Blaine back - the minute we heard this, Nick and I were horror struck. Blaine had just broken up with Kurt - he was weak and thought about coming back to Dalton - to his friends. He did not know the truth about what the Warblers had become. A group of boys that every other day were being injected with a cocktail of performance enhancing chemicals, under the thumb of a whip cracking, ex-military academy psycho. All of that was hidden when Blaine came to Dalton to try and retrieve the New Directions Nationals trophy. Hunter told us what to sing - he tried to force Trent to join us, but in the end, he realised that he wouldn't be able to shut him up. And Blaine was tempted, so we did all we could to put him off. Sent ideas to Sam to try and get him to persuade him to stay at McKinley. Sebastian even set things up so that Blaine could get the trophy back. He was spared. No doubt Hunter would have welcomed him with a nice injection, and probably, a threat to Kurt."

"Weeks went by and nobody noticed, or did anything to save us. There were two teachers that suddenly disappeared and we assumed that they had tried to help us, but went to the wrong person. The Principal knew what was going on and did nothing. He probably condoned it. He had a lot to prove to the board of governors, and a win by the Warblers for the first time in a decade would be the ideal way to do it. And if in the process, the lives of a group of teenage boys were destroyed, then that was mere collateral damage. Trent did his best, but a lot of people thought he was just bitter about his dismissal from the group. You see, Hunter had spread a rumour that he had been kicked out by all of us, by a vote, because of his part in the death of Domingo. So no-one was paying much attention."

Jeff closed his eyes and took a breath. He wasn't even halfway through - and the worst was still to come.


	42. Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part III

_Jeff's story continues - again, rated M..._

**February 25****th**** 2014: Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part Three**

After a short pause, Jeff started to speak again. "Then came the first public test - Sectionals. We looked good, but at such a cost - there was pain and heartache. We ached both physically and mentally. I had started to get angry at the tiniest things. On the day of the competition, my toast was burnt in the morning - and I was so close to hurling it back at my mother; smashing the plate, breaking my glass. We had all seen the video of Hunter smashing up the Lima Bean. I knew that in a few days time, that might be me. What if I took it out on my mother, or Nick? Even worse, he had started to clutch at his chest when he thought that I wasn't looking at him. I knew that the steroids were doing that to him, and that was my fault. If it hadn't been for me, then he wouldn't have been placed in this situation. If I had just told Hunter to get lost, and taken the risk… That was it for me, that night. My body ached, I was tired, I could barely think straight. My grades were falling, and as for my drawing… I made up my mind backstage. As far as I was concerned, the Warblers were over for me. But I wasn't going to leave alone. I was going to take Nick with me. As far away as possible. To Kurt, in New York."

"I found Nick slumped in a corner of the corridor, next to the green room. He looked so tired, so pale. I sat down next to him and told him that I had had enough. That I knew that he was at breaking point too - I could see it in his face and in the way he was behaving. So we were going to leave - those words made him look horrified. He was so frightened of Hunter - we all were. We both bore the bruises from his outbursts. The only person that had more than us was Sebastian. He knew that if we left, we were putting ourselves at risk. He told me as much, so I told him the full plan. We would run away together. Leave Dalton, our families and Ohio behind. I knew where we could go, but I didn't spell it out. His face lit up, and the plan was made. The next Sunday the date set. We should have been more careful. We were so caught up in the idea of escape that we failed to notice Hunter in the shadows, drinking in every word. Our cards were marked - we had weakened and were now as bad as Trent. Not fit to be Warblers. We had to be brought back into line, made an example of. But first, someone else was going to suffer for us. Someone who, in his opinion, should be keeping better control over the rest of us - Sebastian."

"The following day, we had a long rehearsal - even though we had won, it wasn't enough. Slaps and punches were dealt out, and Sebastian's pleas to spare the freshmen came to naught as usual. I can still hear the snap of a finger that was bent back too far. That was a young guy called Colin - he had missed a step - no-one had even noticed, apart from Hunter. Now, he had a broken index finger on his left hand. He didn't cry or scream - he knew that if he did, things would get far worse. Then we were dismissed, apart from Sebastian. He needed a strategy discussion with him. So Nick and I took Colin to the nurse - told her he had slipped during a move, and in trying to save himself, had broken his finger. She just looked at us in disbelief - she knew what was going on - and arranged for him to be taken for an x-ray. In the end, Nick took him and I went along to escape, and to cradle Colin in my arms as he finally sobbed his heart out. At that point I was beginning to wonder if we could possibly run away en masse - if the majority of the Warblers vanished overnight, then that would be noticed."

"Such thoughts would turn out to be academic anyway, after what we discovered when we returned to Dalton that night. We had all been forced to board by then - there was to be no escape, not even at night - and it ensured that no parent would notice the fresh bruises. Having seen Colin back to his room, and into the protective arms of his roommate, Edward, we decided to go and see Sebastian, to try and enlist his help in our plan. We couldn't leave him behind, or any of the others. It would be unfair to have them suffer for our departure. We crept to his room, and knocked. He had a room of his own - it was tiny, but it meant he had some freedom, just as Nick and I did in the one we shared. There was no reply, and at first we thought he had to be elsewhere. Then Nick heard a sound. The tiniest noise. A sniff. So we tried the door and it opened to a pitch black room. As the light from the door shone across the room, we both heard a half strangled sob. We went in, closing the door - not putting on the main light, just relying on my cellphone to light the way. Nick saw him first. He was tucked into the narrow gap between the wall and his chest of drawers. We were both used to the cocky Sebastian - the boy we saw that night had been broken."

In the gallery, Wes realised that Nick had begun to cry, and put an arm round his shoulder. He glanced along the row and saw Dave in a similar position with Sebastian. Trent also looked close to tears, already in the arms of Rory. "We went over to him, Nick in front of me - and suddenly he just gasped. You see, he was leaning forward and we could see his back - and the bright red welts. Still bleeding. Nick just put an arm around him and he started to wail. He was like a little boy - Colin had wept less; it just wasn't him. His spirit was broken, his confidence shattered. We managed in the end to get him out of the corner and onto his bed. Nick went off to find a bottle of antiseptic, to wash his wounds. We couldn't bandage them, and he refused point blank to go to the nurse. Because of Hunter - he knew he would get more if he made it public. I failed to see how it could be worse than it was. It was obvious that he had been whipped - the marks made it so. He just kept saying it would be worse, for all of us. Then he told us why he had been attacked. It was because of us."

"When he said those words, Nick froze. I asked the question and got the answer that I dreaded. He had overheard us at Sectionals; had decided that Sebastian was failing to keep us in line, and so he had to pay for it. The guilt that I felt at that moment, that Nick felt - I can't describe it. We knew that Sebastian was probably going to have those marks on his back for the rest of his life. And they were down to us. It ended up with the three of us sobbing uncontrollably on his bed, clinging onto each other. That was where I woke up the following morning - the three of us wrapped together on his narrow bed. At that point, we had two courses of action open to us. Stick to our plans, but run away there and then, taking with us as many of the other Warblers as we could grab. Nick wanted to include Trent, as he was afraid that he would pay for it if Hunter found us all gone. We all knew that it was the thing to do. I can only imagine the look on Kurt's face when we all showed up in Bushwick, particularly with Sebastian in tow. Not to mention Rachel and Santana…" He looked up, and smiled wanly at the two girls. "But once they knew why we were there, I am sure they would have done everything in their power to help us. Instead of that, we went for the second option. We decided to stay just a little longer. Nothing happened for a few weeks - Christmas came and went. Then came the night that we will never forget. The night that Hunter decided it was finally time for Nick and I to pay for our misdemeanours."

Nick clung onto Wes at that point, burying his face in his shoulder. Wes realised that he knew very little about the events of that night, apart from the fact that Trent had heard Jeff scream. He had seen both boys shirtless in the time that he had been sharing the loft with them, so they couldn't have been whipped like Sebastian. It was clear from their reactions that something had happened - and then there was the scream. Had he done something to Nick and made Jeff watch helplessly? A sudden cold feeling gripped him - surely he hadn't carried out his earlier threat to Nick? Because if he had, Wes would be straight out of the gallery, down to the dock, and would wrap his hands round his smug throat - and he probably have the other Warblers and half the New Directions for company. He just couldn't bear it if that was the case. He looked down at Jeff, his face drained of colour - and he was trembling. This was going to be bad, and it might just send him or Nick over the edge. He could only wait for Jeff to start speaking again in fear and trepidation.

"It began as just another ordinary day. It had been weeks since Sectionals, and maybe we had stupidly begun to think that we had got away with it. We knew by then what our victory had done to the New Directions - they had been disbanded. We felt bad for Blaine, but felt glad he wasn't trapped in the living hell that we were in. He had become a cheerleader - when Sebastian heard that, his eyes actually lit up with their old spark for a few seconds. On top of that, Blaine was talking to Kurt again. I had spoken to him only the night before. He had called me as he was going through the trauma of a Sadie Hawkins dance, scheduled to take place that night. I remember that Trent was acting in a strange manner that day - he was skulking about, constantly sending texts - and he looked nervous. Then it was time for our rehearsal. It was winter, and the Senior Commons had an open fire. It was lit, and had been banked up so high that the flames were roaring up the chimney. On top of that, the central heating was at its highest setting. We all sweated so much as we sang that day. The heat made us sluggish in our choreography, but he said nothing. In retrospect, that should have been a warning to all of us. But we were all just so grateful to have a quiet day. Then it was over - until as we were about to hurry out the door, he barked out "Duval, Sterling. Stay here. We need to have a chat." Sebastian turned to look at us in horror - I just looked at Nick, and he was as terrified as me."

"Give him his due, Sebastian tried to stay back with us. But he was as good as thrown out of the room. Told to leave the corridor, with Hunter watching him go. He shut the door, and moments later, reopened it to check that Sebastian wasn't creeping back. Then he shut the door again, locked it and turned towards us, with a look of such anger that I felt Nick start to shake. He had taken my hand, and was gripping it tight. Hunter began to berate us about his disgust that two such senior Warblers would even consider desertion at the point that we were winning. That quitters like us made him so sick. I tried to tell him that it was all my idea; that Nick was innocent and had only been going along with me in a sense of stupidly misplaced loyalty. He knew that, of course; he agreed with me, it was all my idea; that the fact that the two of us were there now was all down to me; and the fact that he had been forced 'reluctantly' to discipline Sebastian was my fault too. But Nick was guilty of something just as bad. He hadn't come to Hunter to report that I was spreading sedition. Had been intending to leave and be disloyal. That was, in his book, as bad, if not worse. His misguided loyalty to a friend like me was a disgrace. Now, we had to pay the price, before the cancer that I had introduced to Nick spread to the other Warblers. We had probably infected Colin already, and so his punishment would come soon enough. But we, along with Sebastian, were to be paraded in front of the others as an example. At that, I expected him to pull out the whip he had used on Seb. I think that Nick thought the same. He pulled out the paddle from under the table first, then sure enough, the whip. I believe it is called a Cat O'Nine Tails. My heart was sinking by then. Then he told me and Nick to walk around to the other side of the table, the side in front of the roaring fire. To drop our trousers and underwear, and bend over the table. Reluctantly, stoically, we did so. And that was when we noticed. First Nick, then me. The thing that was wrong in the fire."

At that point, there was a bit of commotion in the gallery. Carole suddenly felt ill and needed to leave. She could barely stand, and had to be assisted to the door. This was done by two people that she specifically requested; a choice that at first, surprised the others - Tina and Brittany. As she walked out of the door, she looked back at Burt, who nodded. Wes suddenly remembered that Sebastian had taken Nick and Jeff to the Hummel's that night. Now Carole had specifically removed the two girls most likely to cause a scene if something horrific was revealed. On top of that, Nick was now shaking like a leaf as he wept. He had a very bad feeling about what Jeff was going to say next.

"What was wrong was that there were two sets of fire irons. Two sets of tongs, two little shovels, two brushes. And two pokers. Only, they weren't on their stands, they were propped up on the grate, the sharp ends in the flames. And the tips of those pokers were glowing white. Goodness knows how long he had had them in there. I looked at Nick and his eyes were wide; tears were starting to run down his cheeks. He gasped out the phrase "Edward the Second." At first, I didn't get it. Then I remembered our history class that week. Monarchs. Violent plots of overthrow. And our history teacher had told us about Edward the Second of England. His love for Gaveston. The latter's murder and the King's overthrow by his wife. And his death. By a red hot poker…"

Jeff stopped to take a breath, and to calm himself.

"My mind was screaming at itself by then, between 'you are going to die!' and 'he wouldn't dare.' There wasn't much we could do - we could have tried to overpower Hunter and make a run for it, but he had one thing - the key to the door. Nick looked at me and he just seemed so resigned to our fate. And I guess that I was too. 'At least if I die,' I thought, 'it will be alongside Nick.' So we assumed the position; took each others hand, and braced ourselves…"

Jeff paused again, his eyes downcast, not wanting to see the faces in the gallery.

"I heard Hunter slip on a glove - he would have needed one to protect his hand from the heat. I heard the noise of metal on metal as he pulled one of the pokers out of the fire…"

Again, he paused, as he choked down the wave of nausea threatening to overcome him.

"I felt a wave of heating coming and I knew it was my turn first - figures since I was the ringleader. I heard Nick whimper….and then…."

Jeff stopped again, as he started to cry, but then carried on.

"The pain was indescribable. The hissing noise and the smell…oh, God, the smell of burning flesh. And I screamed. Screamed louder and longer than I had ever done before. I was gripping onto Nick's hand so tightly that afterwards, it was black and blue. It seemed to last forever. The pain, the mind numbing pain. All my other senses switched off - my body lost control. I found out after that I had wet myself. Then it was all over… the pain was still there, but I heard the clash of metal on the marble hearth. I managed to stop screaming then…."

By now, Jeff was in floods of tears, his body shaking. Yet his hands made his way to his belt and began to undo it. Wes suddenly heard Nick whine "No Jeff, don't…" but his voice was too small to be heard over the growing tumult in the court. His belt undone, he turned his back on the room. He dropped his trousers and boxer briefs. And there, in front of them all, was the evidence - a long dark scar across his left buttock…


	43. The Unplanned Testimony of Nick Duval

_A Happy Christmas to all. Not that things are exactly festive in this story. So I might have posted a Christmas tale to go alongside this one today...  
Once again, rated M..._

**February 25****th**** 2014: Unplanned Testimony of Nick Duval**

_And there, in front of them all, was the evidence - a long dark scar across his left buttock__…_

There was a series of gasps, and then a shocked silence.

Wes couldn't look anymore; Nick was virtually wailing in his arms in any case. He looked at his fellow Warblers and realised that not one of them was dry-eyed. Thad in particular was howling in Flint's arms. Even Santana had tears in her eyes as she looked down to the figure on the stand. Wes looked next to Puck, holding a stunned Quinn - he had a look on his face which more or less said to Wes 'If you want to go down there and end Hunter here and now, I'm right behind you.' Mrs Sterling had passed out in her husband's arms. Grace and her mother were also upset, but equally, fearful of what was yet to come. Wes turned his attention back to the boy in his arms, and realised that he had stopped crying. That he now looked so serene and in control. His eyes were now fixed on Jeff, who was struggling to pull his trousers back up. His body was shaking almost uncontrollably as he turned to face the front again.

"Then my mind began to function again - and I realised that Nick was next…my poor Nick…it was all my fault…I'm sorry Nicky, I'm so sorry…" and with that, Jeff fell to his knees, tears poring down his face, his body racked by aching sobs.

The judge, along with Mr Rosen, looked horror struck. Mr Masterton was just shaking his head and as for Hunter, he just sat with a smirk on his face. Wes was ready to go down and wipe it off for him, when…

"Your honour," said a voice from next to Wes. He spun round to see Nick standing up, a determined look upon his face. "Your honour," he said again, pushing past Wes before he could stop him, and making his way to the gate to the court proper. The judge spotted him then, as did everyone else, and the noise died down, apart from Jeff's heart wrenching sobs.

"Your honour, I'm Nick Duval. I know that this is against all the rules, but as you can see, my fiancé is in no condition to carry on giving evidence. So, I can carry on for him. If I can't do that, can I at least try to calm him down?"

The judge looked at the clerk, the prosecution team and Mr Masterton, and took a decision. She motioned to the clerk, who stepped forward, opened the gate and let Nick in. He went to the stand, and took Jeff into his arms, whispering in his ear "I'm here now Jeffie. It's ok. I'm here. And I'm going to carry on for you…"

That got a reaction - a squeal of "No, Nicky! I can't do that to you. Please, don't do it. We agreed…" Then Jeff was sobbing again, and Nick was motioning for the bible, to swear his oath. He did so, and suddenly Jeff stopped crying. He knew when he was defeated.

"I was terrified as I stood there by Jeff at that moment. His scream had torn at my heart as effectively as a dagger. He was crushing my hand, but I didn't care. He was my best friend, and he was suffering. If that was helping him with his pain and heartache, then it was a price I was more than willing to pay. I guess that even by then, my subconscious knew that I loved him. Wouldn't want him harmed for the world. Plus, I knew that my turn was coming. The moment that I heard the sound of metal on marble, I knew that it indicated a relief of the pain for Jeff, but was hastening the moment that it would be my turn to go through it. I was darn positive at that moment that I would soon be crushing Jeff's hand just as hard as he had done mine. It was only a matter of time."

"He spoke then, Hunter. In that smug tone he always had. He said "Screaming like a darn girl there, Jeffrey - but that is what I expected from a fag like you. Let us just hope that Mr Duval is more of a man than you. Because if he so much as whines, then I will transfer the remainder of his punishment to you. That is a promise, Nicholas. You even whimper, and Mr Sterling takes it for you." I knew what I had to do. I knew what I would do. Take it in silence. Internalise the pain. I began to count down in my head. The few remaining seconds as I heard the sound of metal on metal. I bit the inside of my lips to keep my mouth shut. I kept thinking the same three words - 'Quiet for Jeff' over and over in my head. As I felt the heat grow. As I felt the hairs on my buttock start to singe. And then… I think I would rather have tried to give birth. Just like Jeff I felt myself urinate all over my trousers, my shoes. I thought about my family, the other Warblers, anything to keep my mind off the searing pain. It just kept on burning. I was inhaling the most horrible of smells. I felt so sick. I was gripping Jeff's hand so hard I actually broke his pinkie. It seemed to go on for days, but it was not much more than a minute, so they tell me."

At that statement, there was a collective gasp of horror from the gallery.

"Quiet for Jeff, Quiet for Jeff… and then the pain was less hard, and I heard the sound of metal falling on marble. I had done as he had asked. I had made no noise. I had taken my punishment, and saved Jeff from more. Then, Hunter spoke again - "I'm impressed Duval. We might be able to mould you into a soldier yet. Just need you to ditch the fag. I'll speak to the Principal and have you and Sebastian share - the blond can take the single. By the way, you have earned the right to scream now." But I didn't then - wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. I let him walk out of the room, switching the light off as he went. I listened to his footsteps fade - and then, only then did I scream. And I wept…fell to the floor in the puddle I had made. Jeff collapsed next to me, also crying, telling me he was sorry, that it was all his fault. And in between my sobs, I was telling him that it wasn't. It wasn't his fault. And we were still like that when Sebastian came in. Found us curled up together, naked from the waist down, sitting in our own filth."

The court was silent. Nick had been so calm, almost detached in the way he had spoken. Jeff had just knelt there, silent, as he had done so. It was uncanny; disturbing in its way.

Then Nick looked up again, and said, "Well, guess it's my turn now. You know, I never thought the day would come when I would be mooning an entire court full of people. I'm going to law school in August, so I guess I'll never get the chance again. As you heard, I had twice as long to suffer as Jeff. But it was worth it to save him from any more pain."

With that, he turned round, and dropped his trousers and then his boxers. This time, there were shrieks of horror from across the room. Wes felt sick as he just stared at the livid mark - a deep gouge in the surface. Trent had passed out; Thad was just staring blankly across the room. Santana had dissolved into sobs, thankful that Carole had managed to get Brittany out of the room. Mike felt the same way about Tina. Grace was crying loudly for her brother, as Cooper held her, trying to stop himself retching.

Then suddenly there came a shout full of tears - "My poor baby boy, my poor baby." from Mrs Duval. That was the trigger for Nick. Hearing his mother scream out between sobs, was the final straw for a boy that had suffered so much and been strong for so long. He suddenly keeled over, fortunately straight into Jeff's arms. It was then that his tears started up again - full throated wails of pain, anguish and grief came from him, as Jeff clung to him, getting more and more distressed by the second. Wes knew that he had to do something; had to go to his two young Warblers and comfort them. He was given his chance when the judge called for a short break, to allow Mr Sterling and Mr Duval to recover and continue. Hunter was taken away - the lawyers left to consult with the court officials. The clerk was left in shock; in all his years in the job, he had seen nothing like this. The injuries that they had all just seen were inhuman. They had been given a brand like a steer. He did not know where to begin with trying to comfort the two young men on the stand - both now crying like babies, not men of nearly 20. Help was at hand, he realised, when he saw Wes standing at the gate between the gallery and the court; he did not hesitate in letting him through.

Wes had been hoping that he would react that way. His boys, codenamed Dove and Starling, were in dire need of the kind of comfort only their 'big brother' could give. He went straight from the gate to the stand, where he knelt next to the still sobbing pair, and took them both tightly into his arms. He was joined seconds later by David, who hugged them both from the opposite side; then Thad, Beats and Flint, forming a protective circle around the two boys. Sebastian and Trent joined them, leaving Dave and Rory standing close by. Sam had also made his way down - his eyes met those of Wes - one glance, a nod of the head, and Sam, pulling Rory and Dave with him, joined in with the group hug.

"We all love you two, so much," began Wes. "I left the nest, then so many others did too. We neglected those of you still there. I should have sensed that all was not well, and flown back to visit. Instead, I did nothing, as I had too much coursework to complete. I will never forgive myself for that - I deserted my youngest fledglings, and they paid the price for my negligence. I am so sorry for all of this. I need you two to know that we will always love you - you are our Niff and all of us would defend you until the bitter end. I will make it up to you; to Trent; to Sebastian if he will let me. Just now, we will do what we used to do, back in the good times, when one of my little flock was hurt or upset. We sing, and most of you know the song I mean"

Clear as day, Wes began to sing a simple little song - his own lyrics for a well known tune.

_Hush little Warbler, don't you cry,_

_We are going to sing you a lullaby,_

_Stop your sobbing, dry your tears,_

_We will chase away all your fears._

The rest of the Warblers joined in after the first time, repeating the same words. Their voices rang out loud and clear, as the rest of the court fell silent. They sang through the tears that they were all crying. Eventually, they stopped. As they did so, all eyes turned to the two boys hunched in the centre of a circle of love and friendship. Nick was silent now, but his grip on Jeff had loosened only slightly. As for Jeff, he was ready now to restart his testimony.

Up in the gallery, Puck, Quinn and Santana sat together. What they had just witnessed, both in terms of the injuries the two boys had suffered, and the way that both of them had broken down, had left them in shock.

"I have been living just yards away from them for a weeks now, and they are always so happy. You wouldn't have thought they had a care in the world, as long as the trial wasn't mentioned," said Santana. "But now, to find out that they have been living with this secret for a year? With the pain of their injuries - and the only people that knew were Trent, Sebastian, Burt and Carole. Because that was where Sebastian took them that night - he said as much. That's why Carole got Tina and Brittany out of the court before we got to this, because she knew…"

"And now, we all do," said Puck. "We treat those two boys no differently. The days when the Warblers were our enemies are long over. I'm not ashamed to say this - I'm darned fond of Nick and Jeff - they remind me of the way that Kurt and Blaine were. Trent is just the nicest guy - they all are, when you get to know them, even Sebastian these days. And Wes - he's the leader; the 'big brother' they run to at the first sign of trouble. Look at them now, all huddled together. There is such love there. He cares for them like his children. I wonder who he goes to to fall apart?"

"I don't think he goes anywhere, I think he just deals with it himself," replied Quinn. "It can't be healthy for him. Hopefully, somewhere, he has an outlet. Because I think that just now, he will be blaming himself for the whole situation with Hunter. Silly I know - he had left the school a year before. He just will feel that he left them too exposed. This must be breaking his heart."

The fifteen minutes of recess were almost up, and Wes had decided that he had to play things a different way. Jeff, once the emotional one of Niff, was calm, collected and resolute in his determination to continue with his testimony. Nick on the other hand had broken down and was barely able to stand. He had been so strong for Jeff's sake, almost, Wes realised, without a break since the whole series of events had taken place. He hadn't been able to deal with his own hurt and pain, so busy was he with ensuring that Jeff was ok. And now, it had all caught up with him, the whole torrent of emotions unleashed by the anguished screams of his mother, who had just discovered that her son had been branded by a madman. Because that was what his and Jeff's scars were. Nick's was far deeper than Jeff's and he assumed, as a consequence, much more painful. There was no way that Nick could go back on the stand; no way that he could even stay in the court.

Jeff knew this and had whispered in Nick's ear "You can go now, Nicky. You have been so brave, but now I need to be just as brave too. I need to stand up here, alone, and do what I have to do, for Blaine, Kurt and Finn."

It somehow worked, and Nick allowed himself to be escorted out by his mother and sister. As he left, Jeff stopped himself from crying. He was strong, and he could do this. There was a story to finish telling, to ensnare Hunter once and for all.

_And if you haven't guessed, the tune that is used by Wes is for the rhyme "Hush Little Baby, Don't You Cry"_


	44. Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part IV

**February 25****th**** 2014: Testimony of Jeff Sterling Part Four**

The fifteen minutes over, the judge and the lawyers returned. The clerk explained what had happened with Nick - that he had been taken to the now empty witness room to recover his composure after the trauma of revealing the truth - and that Jeff was now calm, and in a position to restart his evidence. Hunter was then brought back up to the dock, a sneer on his face as he looked at Jeff, trying to intimidate him back into tears. This time, Jeff was resolute. He would not permit Hunter to hurt him anymore or to further damage Nick. They both bore physical scars from his reign - he could not be permitted to scar them mentally as well. With a glower in the direction of the dock (which Santana would later say was an exact copy of Kurt's best bitch stare), Jeff resumed where Nick left off.

"When the door began to open as we sat there, miserable and in such tremendous pain, in a room lit by only the flames from the fire, we both froze instinctively in each others arms. Then Nick was pulling my head down to his chest, as if to shield me from a blow. We both assumed that Hunter had come back, and that our punishment wasn't over. A couple of days before, there had been a strong smell of paint thinners around Hunter's room - we thought somebody had spilled some. Now thinners are flammable, and we were sitting by an open fire… I guess my mind was imagining the worst, fearing that we were about to be drenched in thinners, which would theoretically ignite… Nick was imagining that Hunter was about to start beating us, I think."

"But it wasn't him - it was Sebastian. When he saw us; saw what had been done to us, he retched, and then started to weep. He knelt down next to us, pulled us to him, and held us close, all the time saying "This has to end. It has to end. No more." Then, he lifted up his head, and said "We're leaving - now. No more delays. We go now, the three of us. Not to New York, but to the one man that we know that will take our side and help us out. Burt Hummel." He started to help us up - he had been kneeling in the puddle we had made, but he said nothing. He got us up on our feet, and helped us get dressed again. That was agonising, pulling fabric over the top of our burnt flesh, but what choice did we have? The school nurse, I suppose, but there was a risk that she would have run to the Principal, and he would have spun the usual line about Dalton's reputation. So we just had to get away."

"Nick refused to leave Dalton without Trent. He argued fiercely that if Hunter found the three of us gone, then he would take it out on Trent. No ifs, no buts - he would have done. Hunter did in fact go tearing around looking for him that night, according to Colin and Edward, who cowered in a wardrobe most of that night, in fear. Half of the Warblers were in hiding that night. Sebastian made a dash to Trent's room, but it was empty. In the end, he called his cellphone. Trent told him he was at the mall - he was, in fact, at McKinley - and after Nick had actually spoken to him, Sebastian asked him to meet us at the Hummel's. That he had decided to end Hunter's reign of terror once and for all, and a congressman was exactly the weapon we required to ensure that it did happen. Trent agreed he would meet us there - and at the last second, Nick asked him to find Blaine and bring him too. For safety. Because Hunter knew where Blaine lived and there was no telling what Hunter might do. Nick was right about that, in the end…."

"Needless to say, given the location and nature of our injuries, the drive to Lima was agonising. The smell was all pervading - it was the middle of winter, but we drove with the windows wide open, so that we could breathe. Sebastian had crept up to our room to fetch our coats, hats, gloves and scarves, exercising extreme caution as Hunter was still abroad. He drove fast, so the wind in the car was icy. We made it to Lima in record time. It was Burt's wife, Carole that opened the door. She looked at the three of us curiously; then I started to cry, which set Nick off, and even Sebastian I think. The rest of that night is a bit of a blur. I remember hearing Burt swearing so much when he heard from Sebastian what Hunter had done; and when he saw our injuries and Sebastian's back, nothing could have stopped him from calling the sheriff. I remember holding Nick's hand as he screamed again as Carole tried to clean and dress our burns before she took us to the hospital - and then he did the same for me. In the middle of that, Trent burst in, took one look, and promptly burst into tears. Then, hearing Blaine coming, he dashed back out to stop him coming in. What else happened that night I do not know, as we left with Carole, lying down in the back of her estate car, shortly thereafter. When we got to the hospital, I knew our burns must be bad, as the doctor swore when he saw them. We managed to convince Carole not to let our parents know. They only found out about them today."

"We were kept in overnight - given morphine for the pain, and as a result hand the best night's sleep in months, side by side in a twin room. We awoke in the morning to find a dishevelled Sebastian and Trent sitting between our beds, fast asleep, their heads resting on each other. When they woke up, the truth came out. Trent had broken his silence to Blaine, Sam and Finn. Sebastian had told Burt everything. The police had gone straight to Dalton and demanded access to the Senior Commons from the member of staff that answered the door - the school nurse. The evidence of what he had done was still there. Confronted with the details of the latest atrocity, she produced a secret file she had kept of all the injuries that the Warblers had suffered, every last bruise and cut noted. The upshot of this was that Hunter and his uncle were taken to the police station for questioning."

"Given all of this, you are probably wondering how the only part of the story to have hit the media was the use of steroids by the Warblers. The board of governors intervened to save the reputation of Dalton Academy. If all of this had come out at the time, there would have been a furore like nothing else. Boys would have been withdrawn, and the school might have had to close down. Fact. And we all still loved Dalton, so couldn't let it die. So the Warblers went to the governors together. We had been told that they intended to expel us all for the steroids. We told them quite frankly that if they did, then we would have no hesitation in going public with the rest of the story - the torture, the humiliations, the inadequacy of the board… I believe that Sebastian might have used the words _National Enquirer _and Trent might have pointed out that his uncle worked for _Time_ magazine. With that, and the interventions of Burt, Blaine and the two fired, and now reinstated teachers, we were allowed to remain. Principal Carmichael returned. But for me, the pressure was still building. I had to live in fear of my secret coming out - and one day, it got too much for me, and I literally fell apart."

"All of us were suffering from the consequences of our withdrawal overnight from the steroids. All of us felt so tired, and the headaches were awful. The teaching staff got used to finding one - or more - of us asleep in class. Some of the younger boys found it hard to concentrate. We had all lost our appetite - we basically ached. I don't think that the Warblers could have survived in any form if it had not been for one person driving us all. Pushing themselves to the limit - that was Trent. Unofficial leader of the group - his status as clean meant he still had the necessary drive and passion. He convinced Jasper and Brad to come back too. They were juniors - and he appointed them as his two other unofficial council members. From what I've heard, they are two thirds of the current council. Our rehearsals were more subdued - more about the welfare of the members rather than singing. We did sing, simple songs of hope and companionship - we just did it sitting down, at first. The worst of the side effects did wear off. Trent made sure that at the end of each rehearsal there was a pile of cookies, chocolate cake, pastries and confectionary. He knew what our favourites had been and tried to supply them. He took us out for bonding meals - we all came to love our visits to the Chinese restaurant in Westerville. Even now, if I'm feeling down, the smell of Chinese food cheers me up. Funny thing is, I couldn't stand it before…" There was a ripple of laughter from the gallery, but it was cut short. They were all just pleased to see Jeff smile, even for a second. But almost as soon as it appeared, it vanished again.

"We all seemed to be recovering. It was almost as if none of it had happened; the camaraderie was back - the jokes, the laughter, the insane dancing. I had been invited back to the Art club, Nick to the debating team. Sebastian wasn't so lucky - the coach of the lacrosse team told him that his steroid use made him a liability. His team-mates went to the Principal - they understood that he couldn't play in competitive games, but surely he could be allowed to join them in practice? A week later, the Warblers stood at the side of the pitch and cheered him as he played in a game between Dalton A and Dalton B. As I said, almost back to normal. Until that day. It was cold, and so the fire had been lit. We had been singing up a storm, even begun to perform the most rudimentary choreography. Trent's face was a picture of delight - he had done it, you see; he had saved us from destruction. Then someone decided to stoke the fire. It had burned down a bit as we performed. I was sitting next to Nick on the sofa, in our old spot. There was suddenly the sound of the poker scraping on the grate. I froze, and so did Nick. They stirred the fire up, and there was a burst of heat. As they went to put the poker back, it slipped from their hand and fell on the marble. And that was it. I snapped. I don't remember anything, but I'm told there was pandemonium. I started to scream and thrash about. Nick was trying to grab me, but I just kept hitting him. Still he tried, Sebastian dived in to help him, after his initial shock died down. My scream had triggered a flashback in Seb too, to that night. Trent cleared out the other Warblers - sent Jasper for the nurse, Brad for the Principal. When they arrived, I was still screaming in Nick's arms, and we were all in tears."

"I'd had a nervous breakdown, triggered by the sounds of the poker. My brain associated those sounds with pain and danger. That was why Nick froze up too, at first. But my guilt was greater, and that is why I cracked, and he didn't. I ended up being admitted to the psychiatric ward at the hospital in Westerville for evaluation. It was only for two nights, but it scared me to death. Nick came to visit me, and was his cheerful self. When he left, I could hear him crying in the corridor. But the prognosis was good - a one off event. I would get better with the love and support of family and friends. I could go back home, even back to school eventually. I was discharged, and when my dad drove back up the drive at the house, there they were - Sebastian, Trent and my Nick. Under a 'Welcome Home Jeff' banner. Idiots. I loved them all the more for that. That was a Sunday - the next week was hard - my mom stayed at home with me all day - then as soon as he could get there, Nick would appear, bringing me assignments, gossip and his company. We talked if I felt up to it - if not we watched movies, or he would read to me. He wasn't supposed to stay over, but I fell asleep on him - literally - on the first night, and by the time my mom came in, he was asleep too, curled into me. It became the norm - he virtually moved in. All very chaste - he was still straight then…" Jeff laughed at that point and then very quietly said, "Of course he was - not." That set the rest of the Warblers laughing, only stopping when the judge banged her gavel and gave them a pointed look.

Jeff, looking apologetic, started again. "That weekend, Nick appeared first thing on Saturday - he had actually gone home on Friday. He had a very large sketch pad, and a box of good pencils with him. He gave them to me, with the instruction "Draw me." He then proceeded to take two daisies out of a vase, and put them above one ear, and pulled a face which seemed to convey the sentiment "What the….?" It made me laugh, and then I began to draw. Best therapy I could have had - somehow, Nick knew that. At lunchtime, Sebastian and Trent arrived and posed for me too. By the end of Sunday I had also drawn my parents, as well as two more of Nick. I felt well enough to start my homework. The next day, there was a setback. Blaine wanted the Warblers to help him with his proposal to Kurt. They had agreed, but the fact that I was going to miss it made me so unhappy. That, and the fact that Sebastian had blurted out that I had broken my leg when Blaine asked where I was. Because now, he and Kurt were going to come and visit. Fortunately, my artistic skills run beyond drawing. We built a fake cast out of Plaster of Paris, which I wore when they visited. To see them back together and engaged was wonderful, and a good tonic for me. Two weeks later, I was fit enough to return to Dalton. The fire in the Senior Commons was lit, but the fire irons were gone. That was Trent's doing. This time, things were back to normal. There were bumps in the road, Finn's death for one. But Hunter was a nightmare, a spectre in the past. Nick finally realised that he was gay - doh! - and we got together a week before the end of term. That wasn't unstressful, but I was stronger. We moved to Chicago together to live in an apartment owned by my uncle. We were happy - ecstatic when Blaine called to say that they were getting married in September. Because that would be us, one day. Only, we never got the wedding…."

"Kurt's death broke our hearts - we had lost a good friend. I was always able to call him up when I felt down about the whole situation vis-à-vis Nick. He had helped both of us be more, how can I say this, fashion forward. One of the last things he said to me was just after he had shown us the wedding suits that he and Blaine had made. He promised me that he would help me chose my suit for marrying Nick; and help me select one for Nick, because he and Blaine had one thing in common - a strange sense of fashion if not properly guided. I knew that he was dead the moment that I walked into that hospital corridor and saw the way Quinn and Mercedes were crying. Never crossed my mind it was Blaine. The funeral was just so sad - Blaine in a wheelchair, the way he just sobbed when we sang for Kurt. I think that I'd be right to say that none of the Warblers singing that day had dry eyes at the end. A week later, and we were preparing for another funeral. Blaine had shot himself at Kurt's grave. Just could not live without him. I think that Hunter was well aware of that. Might have actually planned on just killing Kurt and not our Blaine at all. Show him up as weak."

"At the same time as we found out that Blaine was dead, Sebastian let slip that Hunter had been behind it all. That made me feel even worse, because whether I like it or not, he is my brother. I can't ever alter that fact, as much as I would like to. By blood, I am related to a sadistic, evil, calculating torturer and killer. Makes me feel sick. Before Kurt died, Nick and I had talked one night about children. We both want them, you see. We decided that we would have two, one he was father to, and one I was father to. Not now. If we have a child, Nick will be the biological father. I can't risk that there might be some taint in my genetic make-up that will turn my child into the next Hunter. Nick thinks I'm mad, but no, I will not risk it. Some nights, I want to cry, but I don't. I can still be a dad to a child via Nick. But it still hurts - to know that there will never be a child out there that's even a little bit of Jeff Sterling."

Jeff stopped, and looked down to the floor. In the gallery, Trent was in tears again. He almost felt guilty that he has escaped. That he was not scarred physically. That his mind was whole and not tormented by memories. The fact that Jeff felt he could not even risk having a child of his own was the final straw, and the dam had broken. Around him, of course, only Sebastian had known about the nervous breakdown. Everyone else had known about the 'broken leg' - had seen the pictures on Facebook of Jeff with his cast. That it had all been an elaborate fake to prevent Blaine and Kurt finding out about his nervous breakdown was a major shock. All of the New Directions were thinking the same thing. They had always assumed that the Warblers, in their finely appointed school, had it so much better than they did at McKinley. That it was a safe haven, with its enforced, zero tolerance, anti-bullying policy. Turned out that it was only true if those in authority at the school were actually behind it. Hunter's uncle had not been and had let his nephew mistreat a small group of boys that had been united by a love of song. It could quite easily have cost one of them their life.


	45. Aftermath and Surprise Arrivals

**February 25****th**** 2014: Aftermath and Surprise Arrivals**

Neither of the lawyers had any further questions for Jeff, when asked by the judge. Wes noted a look of disgust on the face of Mr Masterton; he must have had more than a few, but the judge had obviously told him that he had been through more than enough. Hunter just stared at Jeff with evil in his eyes, possibly hoping to make him cry. There was a ripple of laughter as Jeff stuck his tongue out at him as he was lead away. Wes was quite shocked that he hadn't gone as far as blowing a raspberry, or making a two finger salute. The day had, after all, not gone Hunter's way. His blackmail attempt had ended up being supremely unsuccessful. Jeff had bared his soul, and his backside, to the court, and driven several more nails into Hunter's coffin. The only downside had been the collapse of Nick. As Jeff hurried off the stand, Wes had no doubts as to where he was going. To the witness room, to take Nick into his arms and hold him tight. Nobody wanted to intrude on that moment, so they all held back slightly, with the exceptions of Santana and Mike, who rushed out to be reunited with Brittany and Tina respectively.

When Jeff opened the door to the witness room, he found Nick sitting beside Grace - he was still so pale and half asleep. His mother was nowhere to be seen and that worried him. Grace picked up on that at once, and said quietly "Mom is on the phone to Dad; from what the security guard tells me, her language has been choice, and it wouldn't surprise me to hear that the word divorce is being used. Nick and Mom are reconciled by the way, so I'm afraid you are getting a mother-in-law after all. I'll go and see if I can find her now you are here." She got up, and giving Jeff a quick hug on the way past, left the two boys alone.

Nick looked up at him, his eyes still red, and looking so tired. "You ok, Jeffie," he whispered.

"Yeah. What about you Nicky?"

"Been better. Sorry I fell apart in there…"

"Don't be. I never wanted you to go through any of that. But you did, and I'm sorry that I made you think you had to come down. Look, we could both keep on apologising for everything, but the fact is, this is all Hunter's fault…"

"I can't believe that he is your brother! Why did you never…"

"I should have done. I'm sorry, we shouldn't have secrets, but I felt - I felt everyone would hate me if they found out, even you. Because if I had just told everyone that day that he used it on me as blackmail, you wouldn't have ended up on steroids; wouldn't be scarred for life. Because I would never have taken them, and then neither would you…"

"Doris Day"

Jeff looked at Nick with curiosity, and then his fiancé explained.

"_Que Sera Sera, whatever will be, will be…_ You had no way of knowing what he was planning when you decided to keep quiet. I know why you did it too. Just know one thing. I will love you, without condition, for the rest of your life. What was it Blaine used to say Kurt was - his missing puzzle piece. That's what you are to me…"

"Blaine also said, can't have a Nick without a Jeff, just not right."

"He did, and that is true. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I want to marry you and this year. To heck with waiting - I want our Christmas cards to read with best wishes from Nick and Jeff Sterling-Duval."

"I'd like that - it would take all the poison out of this year, and make it bright. Sooner then, rather than later. We did say August…"

"Like the sound of August. Right now, all I want from you is a kiss…" said Nick, and pulled him in close.

They were eventually interrupted by a cough. They pulled apart to see Trent standing at the door, a big grin on his face. "They want to lock this room up for the night, so if you two lovebirds don't mind, you need to come home with me now." Jeff placed an arm around Nick, and helped him to his feet. Then with Nick's head resting on his shoulder, they walked out through the door Trent was holding open… into a corridor full of people. "Sorry," said Trent. "Did I say home? I meant to say out for food with the Warblers - and the New Directions. It was Wes' idea - apparently, one of the most recommended Chinese restaurants in New York is just around the corner…"

Nick turned to Jeff - and smiled. "Fried Rice, Noodle soup and all the rest does sound like fun…"

"Are you sure that you are up to it?" asked Jeff.

"Yeah, think I can cope with it. It might be fun. And I am starving.."

So it was that everyone, even Burt and Carole, ended up sitting round a selection of tables, eating some of the best food they had ever tasted. At the Warbler table, Trent suggested that they all order something different, then shared the dishes. That worked out very well for the first order - not so well for the second, when someone ordered salt baked frog - and found themselves eating it all. Just as in the aftermath of Hunter's cruelty at Dalton, the food managed to erase all memories of the days events in court. Terror was replaced by the bonds of love and friendship.

After finishing their Chinese feast, the group made their way towards a patisserie that the head waiter had recommended in search of a double chocolate fudge cake for Nick and a devils food cake for Jeff. Not just a slice of each either. After they had successfully purchased them and Trent had reappeared from a branch of Duane Reed with several packs of chocolate chip cookies, they began to make their way slowly back to the Subway. They had nearly reached the station, close to the hotel that the Sterlings were staying in, when Artie stopped dead in his chair, a shocked look on his face. "Kitty?" he shouted, and everyone looked up to see her standing outside a pizza restaurant. Artie swiftly wheeled himself over, and as the two embraced, the door to the restaurant opened to reveal Marley, Jake, Ryder, Unique and Will Schuester. There was a moment of silence and then the two groups merged, the Warblers standing to one side as Puck hugged his half-brother, Mercedes and Unique started chatting, and Marley and Ryder came over to hug Sam and Tina. It was left to Will to explain how they all came to be in New York.

"When they came to Glee on Monday, Marley and Kitty talked non-stop about the two days that they had sat in on the trial. We all knew bits about it from Jacob's reports on the news, and from the lengthy daily E-mails that Sue has been sending. But the two girls were really enthused about the whole thing. How totally fascinating it had been to sit in the courtroom and watch the drama unfold right in front of you. It could make you change your opinion of somebody - Kitty said that she actually felt sorry for Sebastian afterwards. It was upsetting, traumatising, but addictive. I have to admit that I wanted to be here too. I loved those boys like they were my own. Emma's parents are staying at the moment to help with the triplets, and she had already told me that if I wanted to come, then I could. So there I was in the choir room with two girls who were secretly desperate to come back; and three other students who were wildly jealous of them. So I proposed a field trip to New York - if their parents agreed. That was at 3pm - I had five permission slips signed and on my desk in under two hours. After what we then heard on Monday night… anyway, we got in at about 2pm, too late to come to the court today, so we went to visit Carnegie Hall and took a walk down Broadway. Tomorrow, we will be joining you in court."

Santana smiled, and spoke. "We will be happy to have you all there. But it's a good thing that you weren't there today - things were rough, to say the least. Jeff's evidence was pretty harrowing, Mr Schue. We'll need to fill you all in on it, but not here - not in public. They are just in time for the real freak show tomorrow, when the lunatic takes the stand…"

Their ways parted then, all of them heading for home, apart from Santana, Puck and Sam, who went with Mr Schue and the youngsters to the hotel they were staying in. They gathered them in one room and revealed the shock news that Jeff was actually Hunter's biological brother ("The poor guy," Kitty had said.) and then described, in as little detail as possible, what Hunter had done to him and Nick. There were more than a few tears shed, most of them by Will. It was late by the time the three of them could leave and return to Bushwick. Ready for another day - the day that Hunter took to the stand himself and was given his chance to speak.

That night, Nick and Jeff had gone to bed far earlier than normal. The day had taken a lot out of them, both physically and emotionally. They were glad to finally get somewhere that they could be assured of being left undisturbed. It was Nick's chance to ask the question that had been on his mind since the moment he had heard Jeff spell out the threat that Hunter had made. "Do you think that it would have made any difference to everything that has taken place if you had let Hunter tell the world that he was your brother?" Before Jeff could answer, he carried on. "I don't think it would have, you know. Sure, some of the younger guys would have hated you for it, but me, Trent and Sebastian - we wouldn't have. We'd have felt sorry for you, true, but you'd still have been the same Jeff to us. Mad, quirky, beautiful Jeff. My best friend and the boy that I wanted never to leave my life. Deep down, I always knew that we would be together. Maybe not 'this' together," he said with a chuckle as he felt Jeff's naked body press against his, "but always together. I will defend you to my dying breath - you know that. I love you so much, and I know just how much you love me. You were right - it was far better for me to have ended up on steroids rather than let him… I don't think I could have coped if that had happened. I think I might have ended up doing something stupid."

"And if you had, then I would have done what Blaine did. Killed myself to follow you, but not before I had ended him. I'm glad that we had the strength to get through this; I'm just so sorry that Finn, Kurt and Blaine had to pay the ultimate price for us to be here now. There deaths are partly down to my cowardice, you know. If only I had been a stronger person, and told him to do his worst…"

"Then nothing would be any different." Nick and Jeff both looked up to see Blaine sitting cross-legged on the end of their bed. "Before you say anything, it's true. Kurt and I have seen all the scenarios that could have played out - they keep the variations on file - and in each and every one, the two of us, and Finn, end up dead. If I had come back to the Warblers, ended up on the steroids with you, then Finn would still have found out, and died in the same way. Kurt would never have forgiven me, and I would have ended up more and more depressed. I would have carried on taking the steroids, and on graduation day, I would have dropped dead on stage at Dalton from a massive heart attack. Kurt would have found this out on his cellphone as he walked through Manhattan - in his shock, he would have walked out into the road, straight into the path of a speeding truck…"

"Now, if Jeff had allowed Hunter to tell all, the two of you would have been forced out of the Warblers alongside Trent. I'd have noticed that the three of you were missing, found out why….and Finn would have reported it, and we begin the cycle again. Only in that version, two Dalton boys would go missing one weekend in New York, and their bodies wouldn't be found, horribly mutilated, until weeks later…" Blaine stopped and looked pointedly at Nick and Jeff, who realised at once the identity of the two Dalton boys. "Same weekend as the wedding - in the trauma of Kurt's death, even Wes wouldn't have noticed the two of you vanishing. Or have thought anything was wrong until it was too late. I'm glad that Jeff said nothing, because it meant that the two of you lived." He looked with love at the two boys, both now in tears at the knowledge that… "What is done, is done. No blame. No regrets. We all love you. Now, try and sleep - long day tomorrow." With that, he vanished. Although both Nick and Jeff would have agreed that it was impossible, they were both sound asleep, safe in each others arms, in less than a minute.


	46. WOHN News 8 - February 25th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 25th 2014**

_Over now to New York, where events in the trial of Hunter Clarington took yet another dramatic turn… Over to Jacob Ben Israel and Sue Sylvester._

"Yes Rod, today will go down as one of the most sickening days in my short life. I warn viewers now that if you thought events so far had been bad - well, they just got worse. On Friday, we all heard how Sebastian Smythe was whipped by Hunter Clarington for allowing dissention in the ranks. He hinted at a punishment doled out to two other seniors, Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling. Today, we found out what that was, but not until after the most dramatic revelation of the trial so far - Jeff Sterling, it turns out, is the biological brother of Hunter Clarington, rejected at the age of six by his parents because of his sexuality. Sue, your thoughts on the Claringtons?"

"Typical narrow minded bigots - Jeff had a lucky escape."

"Hunter was aware of this and used the fact, and his own unpopularity to blackmail his brother into steroid use, knowing full well that Nick Duval would follow him, as he tried to protect his best friend. As a brother, it seems, Hunter was a bit of a douche."

"Couldn't have put it better myself, Jacob."

"And further evidence of that - he punished the two boys for daring to consider an escape from the hell that Dalton Academy had become by effectively branding them with a red hot poker."

"Yes dear viewers, you heard him right - he branded them both, on the ass, with a red hot poker - like cattle."

"I think that you will all agree with me that Hunter Clarington is low life scum, who pretty much deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his natural life. It isn't really my place to say this, but again we must ask why this case is not being heard in Ohio, where his first offence took place. Then we could be giving him the death penalty."

"And I would like to repeat my previous statement - if New York would like to come to its senses, and reintroduce one, I will happily execute him for you - and I'd do it for free."

"And if she needs an assistant, count me in. This has been Jacob Ben Israel and Sue Sylvester, reporting live for WOHN News 8, from outside the New York Central Criminal Court, on day 12 of the Clarington Trial."


	47. Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part I

_My apologies for no update yesterday - had a family emergency and no access to the internet..._

_Without further ado, Hunter speaks.._

**February 26****th**** 2014: Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part One**

The next morning saw a re-energised and determined Nick and Jeff up before Wes and Sebastian, with a suggestion to just freak Hunter out slightly. Wes had to agree that it was wicked, evil and probably a touch unethical, but they could not be stopped from doing it. A quick ring around the other Warblers revealed that by some stroke of luck ('or more likely an angelic intervention,' thought Wes) all of them had brought their own with them. The plan grew legs when they went over to the other loft to wait for their friends to be ready. It turned out that there were a few spares hanging around too - and a quick call to Kurt revealed that he had intervened slightly, and managed to conjure them up. When Burt saw what was going on, he shook his head, then laughed. Having double checked that it wasn't illegal, he didn't see why they shouldn't…

It was a full house in the public gallery that day, and virtually every seat was occupied by a New Directions member or a Warbler. The younger of them had arrived first and taken the spots to the rear, next to a middle aged couple. The two veterans of the court room, Marley and Kitty, began to point out where everything was and who was where. It was whilst they were doing this that everyone else arrived - and they could only stare in shock. The Warblers were in full Dalton uniform, to the extent that Wes even had a gavel sticking out of his blazer pocket. To their surprise, Sam, Rory, Puck, Mike, Artie and even Cooper and Dave were similarly attired.

"Intimidation," said Nick as a one word explanation. "When he looks up here and sees a sea of Warbler blazers, it will make him realise that he messed with the wrong organisation…"

"On top of which, it looks so wanky that he will probably mess himself," said Santana, earning her a glare from Wes.

Ryder and Jake felt quite the odd ones out in their white shirts and mismatched ties. Even this had been anticipated, and Rachel produced a bag containing two more Dalton ties and blazers… A minute later, the only men in the group not in Dalton uniform, at least from Hunter's viewpoint, were Burt and Will. Slowly, the area below them began to fill up. The press arrived first - and when Sue walked in, looked up and saw a) Will Schuester; and b) wall to wall Warblers, she didn't know whether to frown in anger, or laugh out loud. It was a darn good trick to pull off - she was proud of whoever had come up with it. The looks on the lawyers faces were also a picture - Mr Masterton angrily marched straight over to the court clerk to complain, to be told that there was no dress code for the public gallery, other than no nudity, so there was nothing that he, or indeed the judge, could actually do, unless they began to act in a disorderly manner. Mr Rosen, seeing he was unobserved for a moment, gave them a smile and a thumbs up.

Then Hunter appeared. "This is were you want to boo, but it isn't permitted. Which is a pity if you ask me," said Kitty. Hunter had walked in with his usual smirk on his face, until he looked up at the gallery. Then he froze. It was his worst nightmare. All those matching ties and blazers. 'How dare they do this to me!' he thought. His face betrayed his discomfort at what he saw. Niff's little prank had done its job well.

So it was that Hunter was finally able to speak - to give the world his version of events, how they had got to this moment. He could see, sitting at the back of the public gallery, unknown to anyone around them, his father and mother. His dad would solve all of this in the end. He would talk to the right people - possibly some money would pass in brown paper bags - and he would be free again. And in time, once the world had forgotten, and they had all been lulled into a false sense of security, he could get his revenge on the people that had put him in this position - Smythe, Duval, Sterling, Nixon and Evans. They would all get what was coming to them. But for now, he had to be careful and not reveal his true feelings. Put on the 'poor little Hunter' act that he and Mr Masterton had practiced. It would upset his father, but what had he himself said once - "A true champion doesn't worry about those he hurts on his road to greatness." So, no worries about the first part of his testimony - the bit were he blamed his family.

"I was born into a cold, distant household, the younger of two sons. My parents only ever had their own interests in their hearts. I was a year younger than my brother. He was my idol at that age - I admired him from afar. By the time that he turned five, he was beginning to show what my father described as unacceptable traits. I know now that he meant that Jeffrey was showing the first signs of being gay. He had been caught washing his hair with lemon juice in a bid to make it more blond. He rejected the war games, guns and toy soldiers that my father gave him for books; for singing and for drawing. I didn't love him any less when he refused to play war with me. He was my big brother after all. But my idolisation of Jeffrey did not sit well with my father. There were fights between him and my mother. I came home from kindergarten one day to find Jeffrey crying in his room, surrounded by ripped up drawings and broken pencils. My dad had declared that he was going to expel the fairy from his eldest son. It didn't work - he stayed the same."

"And then one day, not long after my fifth birthday, I came home to find Jeffrey, and every trace of him, gone. I found one photo, intact, in the waste bin, which I hid and still carry today. I was warned never to mention that I had a brother again, or there would be consequences. So I pushed him out of my mind, blanked out his existence. You can if you try hard enough. Anyway, my dad was concentrating on me, and me alone now. I was his little soldier. I was the one that was going to follow in his footsteps, into the army. From then on, my life was completely dominated by military drill. I could march competently by six. By my seventh birthday, I was a regular at the local gun club. As soon as I could read well enough, I was forced to read military strategy; the memoirs of great warriors of the past, so that I could emulate them. I had no friends that my father had not strictly vetted first. He had access to government records, so he could carry out checks on the parents. Above all else, I had to be straight. I think that was my punishment, you see - Jeffrey was gay, so I had to be the exact opposite - a macho man."

"My father's one obsession seemed to be turning me into a one man fighting machine. He had risen swiftly within his branch of the military, and he wanted to prepare me for the same life, regardless of my opinions on the matter. His goal was to create a son to take his place - the heir apparent had been discarded as he was flawed - like with the British monarchy, he had ensured that there was a spare to take on the role in his place. At first, I had resented my father for the pressure he put me under; for taking me away from all the things that I had enjoyed and my friends. Then I came to realise that I actually like the respect that I was getting from those around me. I was good at it, being the boy soldier. I liked the physical nature of much of my training; the shooting range; the camaraderie of the older boys - you see, when I was nine years old, I was running with the 14 to 16 age group. And I was better than most of them. I was a born soldier - I was meant for the role. I came to despise that arts; the liberal peace lovers - I realised why my father had detested Jeffrey. He was weak - in a life or death situation, he would be amongst the first to perish. Me, I was ready to fight - and I would win. I was one of the elite of society."

"My mother had little role in my life by the age of ten. My father needed her around - she was the heiress, the one with the cash that helped to ensure his rise to the top. She was the glamorous hostess of the necessary parties. Yet, he told me on more than one occasion, when the end of civilised society came, he would not try and save her, and I wasn't to either. She was like all women - weak, feeble minded, nice to look at and have on your arm, but in the end, really just there to help produce the next line of men."

In the gallery, Santana was being held down by Mike and Sam, quite literally. "You going all Lima Heights on him right now isn't going to help," hissed Sam. "We can put a picture of his face on a dummy later, and you can destroy it. And Kitty and Quinn can help you," he finished, realising that their faces were also nearly crimson; and that Puck and Artie were also desperately trying to restrain their girlfriends. Suddenly Artie was inspired, and whispered, "On the plus side, he has just said that to a _female_ judge…"

"Of course, even in those men, there are weak links - those with handicaps; those whose talents make them indulge in worthless things like dance; and of course, those poor individuals whose warped brains make them fags… They are useful, but only as cannon fodder, my dad once said. Stick the fags and the artists on the front line to protect the decent men. My father used to sit at night and rage about the needless loss of the lives of good, strong, straight men in conflict, whilst the darn liberal politicos and arty types sat back and watched. I didn't always think like him - at first, I imagined my brother in a position where he was about to die, and I cried. Lord help me if my father caught me doing that. Tears were for girls, not men. Then as my memories of Jeffrey, my big brother that made time for me, played games with me faded, I began to see my father's point more and more. There was no place in the world for weak people like them. I was one of the fit, the able, the chosen. No-one could defy me. Not without risking being punished for it. Simon, well he was the first to try…"

"He was in my class at elementary school. He was, looking back on it now, the kind of boy that most parents would have wanted for a son. He was good at sports, achieved the grades that were expected, and at even at that young age, he was popular with the girls. He was my biggest competition at school - he just seemed to outdo me at every turn. He was just that little bit better at things. Now some would have said that this made him my worst enemy. But my father had drummed into me the idea that to be a winner, I had to stick with the winners. So he and I were friends. Not too close - no sleepovers, no invitations for snacks after school. Close enough though that when he needed to borrow a pencil in class one afternoon, I let him take one of mine. But the clumsy oaf broke it. Damaged my property. He had to pay for it. So I stabbed him with my compass, in the eye." Ignoring the gasp of shock from the gallery at that revelation, he continued, "He deserved it for what he had done to me. He had surgery, but it wasn't entirely successful. The last I heard he was as good as blind in that eye. Tragic, I know, but he shouldn't have broken my pencil."

"At my next school, far away from my first - one of the advantages of my father's job was the ease at which we could move - I again hung with the winners - the jocks if you like. This time I was the star - the big achiever compared with the small town hicks. I took control of this group of sporty guys, made them follow my rules - it was easy to do, as their previous Alpha had been in an accident. I told the others that he had been caught up in a drug scandal - that his parents were dealers and he had been hurt in a turf war. A pack of lies, of course, but one of the strategy books I had read had a whole chapter on the use of disinformation to achieve your goals. My goal was to seize control, and I did. Problem was, the other guy came back, called me out. I had to deal with the threat - unfortunately I was caught in the act of sorting him out. My hands wrapped round his throat as I held him under the water in the school pool. He deserved to die because he was a challenge to my leadership."

"By the time I became a teenager, I was out of the public school system. It is not designed to deal with the power of the Alpha - it is set up solely to educate the dregs of society in what they need to know to work at McDonalds or Walmart. I was destined to be a leader of men; to take my loyal troops with me into battle, and overturn the corruption that is destroying our society. The tolerance of so many things that are just wrong had to be overcome, and the liberals stopped before we all ended up in the cesspit. Things went wrong with the granting of equal rights - my job was to help my father in his quest to reverse it. I'd had that drummed into me almost daily for a decade by that time - no wonder I had ended up with what many would say was a perverse view of the world. He passed all of his disgust and hatred onto me. I had no other role models - my mother was useless and often absent. My brother was gone. The only other person around was my uncle. His vision was the same as my father's but from an intellectual stance. He also had one love from the past that he refused to give up - he sang. I soon realised that I had the same flaw - a great voice and a desire to sing."


	48. Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part II

**February 26****th**** 2014: Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part Two**

After the briefest of pauses, Hunter began again. "There was little room for singing once I got to military school. There was only room for strict drill; for gun practice; for fighting. It allowed me to continue my development into the strong Alpha male I knew that I was. There were guys there that did not deserve to be there, but I had my ways of exercising control. It was not uncontroversial in the current climate - but some people exist solely to serve their Alpha; if they can provide me with an outlet to release my tension, then they are doing their duty to their leader. A good soldier will serve his leader in whatever capacity he requires. Some people might call it assault, but they all got a release of their own. They claim to be traumatised, but that is just because they are weak. The fittest have to survive, and sometimes, we have to remove the weak. That was one of the reasons why I had to remove Mark. He was always getting in the way, always whining. And one day, he got in the way once too often…"

In the gallery, the faces of the watchers were a picture. 'How,' thought Wes, 'could any rational person think that everything he had done was alright? It wasn't about the survival of the fittest. It was about being a bully, a cowardly bully. A psychopath, to be brutally honest. He had no decency and no morality. His parents were partially to blame, that much was true, but he must have been born with a lot of loose wires in the brain - probably inherited from his father, by the sounds of it.' Around him, the same thoughts were going through every head. How had nobody noticed before? His father's money of course - it had paid for everything to be swept under the carpet.

"Mark's accident was the end of Eisenhower Academy for me. The cowards in charge pushed me out, rather than accept my explanation that he was at fault. So, what then? My uncle offered me the chance to help him out in his new job as Principal of Dalton Academy. Wanted me to help him out by achieving a victory to mark his first year in charge - get the pathetic show choir, the Warblers, to the finals of the National competition for the first time in decades. He knew that I could sing, but that I also possessed the one thing that none of my predecessors had - a ruthless streak. He knew that when I wanted to win, I would do whatever it took. Would not worry about how moral it was. To me, all that matters is getting what I want; if there are a few casualties on the way - well, in war, some people have to be expendable. That was what the competition was - a war. My main enemies had to be undermined, in whatever way it took, be it fair or foul. Anything that I could do to assist my cause was also fair. 'All's fair in love and war' they say. I don't know about the first part, but the second is definitely true. So I accepted my uncle's challenge. In return, he provided me with a set of photographs, and unfettered access to the confidential files the school held on each and every one of them. All of their past history - and by God, did that give me some ammunition - Smythe and his indiscretions in Paris, the closet queers, the secret smokers - there was even one of them with a particularly nasty disease. But then, I came to Sterling, Jeff. And stopped short. Because the photo showed me who he really was - and the conformation that he was adopted…. I'd finally found my big brother."

In spite of themselves, all eyes in the gallery turned towards Jeff, who sat there, with Nick's arm protectively around his shoulders. He in his turn was staring defiantly at his brother as he stood there in the dock. He felt nothing for him, even though he had begun to have brief flashbacks to his life before adoption, and to the small boy that adored his brother. The two were one and the same, but he refused to connect them, to acknowledge the link. Next to him, Nick also glowered at the accused. After his breakdown yesterday, some had expected that he would be out of commission for the remainder of the trial - but no, he had bounced back, and if anything, was stronger now than he had ever been. His love for Jeff overshadowed all of his own problems. Together, they were invincible.

"By the time that my first day at Dalton Academy came, I had the Warblers all worked out. I knew what their individual weaknesses were, what their secrets were. I knew exactly who to blackmail and the best way to do it. My uncle had informed me that he had to oversee the election of the Warbler council, and promised to rig it so that I would be appointed as its head. He asked who I wanted as my assistants, but I informed him that in my view, the council had to go. There is a place for democracy, but sometimes, it is better for their to be a benevolent dictatorship instead. So, once he had made me leader, my first act would be to abolish the council. I knew that there would be protests from some, but they could be dealt with. I had already decided that Sebastian should be targeted before my election. As lead soloist, he was a figurehead, and could not be removed. He was going to be a thorn in my side, unless I made it quite clear to him, from the start, exactly who was in charge. On that first day, I confronted him with what I knew, and what I would do with that information. I turned him so pale. He agreed to be passive and not fight me in return for my silence. But I still had two problems - one easily solved, the other the exact opposite. Nick Duval and Trent Nixon."

"Nick was easy to deal with - he was the loyal puppy that followed my fag brother around. Caught in his thrall, he would do anything to protect Jeffrey. So to get Nick, I just had to get my brother. On the other hand, Trent was a major issue. He had no recorded sins, no deep dark secret past. He appeared to be the model of propriety - just what I didn't need. I knew that if I was to triumph, I had to drive the sweet fat kid out of the group. Push him until his morals forced him to walk away. If that didn't work, then a tragic accident might have had to occur - as with Simon and Mark."

"My other big problem was that, almost without exception, the Warblers were physically weak. They might have come from some of the best families in Ohio, but they were not fit. They were ill disciplined and enjoyed too much freedom. They lacked the full time commitment that was required to take the battle to our enemies. A polite, dapper set of young gentlemen is nice, but give me a group of tough, hardened criminals any day. Men that will obey the orders of their Alpha without question. I could turn them around, but it would not be a bloodless process, free from casualties. I had to introduce a new culture; a climate of fear. A zero tolerance, anti-bullying policy was great, but useless when growing an army. The weak deserve what they get - and those spoilt brats got what they truly deserved. Punishment for mistakes, not praise. A culture based on the real world."

"I mentioned casualties, didn't I? There were a few, I'll admit. I lost two potential soldiers at the first meeting - in the end, no great loss; one in the closet, the other Jewish - so not ideal.

In the gallery, Puck stiffened at the tone in Hunter's voice at that last comment. The labels just kept coming - he was a homophobe, a misogynist, a racist and now, he was anti-semitic. All on top of psychopath. The only comfort coming from hearing all of this was that he was digging himself a deeper hole with every word.

"Some of the younger boys were clumsy and had accidents - fell during simple choreography and bruised themselves; or they got too close to someone and were accidentally hit by a flailing hand. These things happen, my uncle used to tell the faculty. Two of them started to complain, so they had to go. Of course to get a reference, they had to keep quiet. But the Warblers were still too weak, too disorganised and so quiet. They lacked the drive, determination and athleticism that the best in the world had. I have Sebastian to thank for my next move. I hadn't even considered performance enhancing drugs until his comments about us needing a truckload of them to perform to my standards. I never said thanks to him for that. I mean, I could have let him do to me what I could see that he wanted to do - but I was afraid of what diseases I would catch from such a whore…"

In the gallery, Sebastian fought hard with himself, and resisted the temptation to stand up and scream "Not even in your wildest dreams, psycho…"

"It was a masterstroke. I could force most of them to take them - half of them would blindly do it if their seniors did it. My two obstacles were therefore Nixon and Duval, the conscience of the Warblers. So I played my cards well - told Jeffrey I would assault his best friend if he did not take them willingly, knowing full well that his puppy would follow suit to save him, the blinking idiot. Nixon would never agree, so I would use that as a reason to force him out. To reinforce it, and to provide a reason for his departure to the outside world, I got their stupid mascot out of his cage, and fed him to Mr Puss. He needed a snack. It was easy to claim that he had flown away and that Trent was to blame. Then he refused the steroids as predicted, and voila, he was gone. In retrospect, I should have arranged for him to have a fatal accident at the point. All I had done was create a loose cannon. He had nothing to lose, but I did. But at that time, it seemed that I had my biddable army; that I was unstoppable."

"I forgot about my long term strategy as I concentrated on my next short term goal - the return of Blaine Anderson to the fold. I sent two of the sophomores to McKinley to get the New Directions trophy - it's just too easy to walk into a public school. I knew full well that Blaine would come to ask for it back. I had warned Sebastian, Nick and Jeffrey that any unguarded remark would lead to severe consequences for them, and for Blaine. If I remember, I might have said that if they squealed, I would take Blaine into a room with the three of them, and make them watch at gunpoint as I garrotted him. Then three shots would have rung out. Poor Jeffrey - caught Blaine making out with Nick and Sebastian - so he killed them and then turned the gun on himself. I knew by then that Anderson had cheated on his precious Kurt Hummel. My old friend Eli Carter had made contact with him on Facebook, and had seduced the lonely Blaine; none of his Warbler buddies knew that he was a cheater, so that was to be my blackmail chip with Blaine."

The fact that Eli had been a set up was news to them all, but it made sense. Without Kurt, Blaine had begun to ask why he was at McKinley. Had desired a return to his old friends and the safety of Dalton. Thankfully, that had been prevented by the hard work of Sam, Tina, Brittany and Artie…

"I always knew that someone had blabbed about the location of the trophy at Dalton. Had no doubt who it was either, the leak in the Warblers - that it was the meerkat wasn't a shock. Maybe he thought he could get into Anderson's pants if he told him. At the time, it made me so angry. So when some dim-witted barista decided to put Splenda in my coffee, I lost it. Took out the anger I felt on the fixtures and fittings of an overrated Ohio coffee shop. I didn't scope out my surroundings, so I failed to spot dreadlocks and the cripple. That was the thing with the New Directions - they reached out and embraced everyone, from the religious freak to the handicapped, via queers and divas. God, but it makes me sick to even think about it. Still, their diversity didn't do them any favours when it really mattered, at Sectionals. When the dopey little bulimic collapsed and they all rushed off to take care of her. Got themselves disqualified. We won by default, and to be honest, that annoyed me. It was the result that I wanted, but I guess I wanted to see them crushed in front of me, particularly Anderson. He had refused me, and he needed to learn that when I tell someone to do something, then they should do it. When I heard the next day that they had been disbanded, I could only laugh with delight. For a moment. Then I remembered that I had some internal problems to sort out. Namely the treachery of my senior year Warblers - the meerkat, the puppy and the fag."

"I wanted to instil fear into their hearts, so I began not with Nick and Jeffrey, who had been talking about running away to New York - did they think that my research hadn't pinpointed that as the place they would go; did they also seriously believe that I wouldn't have known where Kurt Hummel lived? - but with my supposedly loyal second in command. The talk had come under his watch. Now me, I love cats - both the furry variety and those with nine tails. I wanted to show Sebastian he was worthless, a no good waste of oxygen. Maybe I took it too far, but the sight of all that blood and his screams - it excited me. I realise now that I made an enemy that day. It did stop the plans of my brother and his friend. Maybe I should have let them escape. I could have dealt with them in other ways afterwards. My father had paid for me to lose my virginity to a tart in New York - he knew her pimp. And he kept prostitutes of both sexes. Was always looking for a runaway or two to add to his harem… But where was the fun for me in that? So I formulated my own plans for them…"

"I got my uncle to inform the history department that he wanted Edward II covered. All of the gruesome details, just so that they would have a little nugget of intel in their heads when they saw the pokers. It worked I think - made them just a little bit more scared of me. They had to be taught that dissent is not permitted in the ranks. Had to learn that lesson the hard way. So I branded them. My fag brother screamed the school down, but by goodness, his sappy follower just took it, apart from wetting the floor. If I could have got him away from the nefarious influence of Jeffrey, I might have been able to make a real man of Nick Duval. Have made him my second - and the new soloist. Ditched the two fags, and together, we could have made the Warblers the kings of the show choir circuit. But it wasn't to be. I had created too many loose ends. It all imploded in spectacular fashion. I was to be denied my dreams, and for that, someone was going to have to pay…"


	49. Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part III

**February 26****th**** 2014: Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part Three**

"After punishing those two that night, I had gone to the dining hall to get something to eat. It was far quieter than usual, and more surprisingly, Warbler free. I knew that my punishment of Jeffrey and Nick had taken time, but not enough for every boy at rehearsal to have finished eating. The only boys that I recognised in that room were the two defectors. As I passed by them after eating, I heard the words "Not like Trent to miss dinner like this" from one of them. For some reason those words made my blood run cold. Nixon loves his food after all, and never missed a meal. So began my worst nightmare. A quick check of the parking lot revealed that his car was missing. More worryingly, so was Smythe's. My feet took me back to the senior commons, to lock it up. Apart from the stench of urine, the room looked completely normal. There was no sign of my brother or his friend. But the door to the terrace was cracked open, and there was a trail of damp footprints towards it. To my horror, there were three sets of footprints, one of which was, of course, Sebastian's. At the time, I assumed that they were Trent's and ran to the dorms to find him, and deal with him. Only his room was, of course, empty. I headed to Sebastian's next, to tell him that I needed his assistance in finding Trent. He wasn't there, of course. None of them were. Not one single Warbler. And that was when I was forced to go to my uncle and tell him that we had a problem. You know the rest. Four little Warblers were singing their hearts out to a Congressman. I knew that there would be no way to cover things up, unless I could have got them all back in the senior commons for one last meeting. To make my apologies with coffee and cake. Both laced with cyanide. If I was going down, then they were all coming with me. People might even have thought that it was a suicide pact."

"I never got the chance. The cops arrived during the night - I was escorted off the premises, along with my uncle. Told never to darken the hallowed halls of Dalton again. To await my court case for my systematic abuse of the Warblers. But it never came. The board of governors was too worried about the reputation of Dalton Academy to allow the whole mess to be made public. More worried about themselves if you ask me - they had, after all, been the ones to give my uncle the job and their total backing. They had been the ones to demand that he achieve the trophies that the school had missed out on in the last few years. They knew how badly this reflected on them. Well, the whole thing is public now, isn't it? Will Dalton Academy survive the revelations of this trial? Who knows, to be honest. But would you send your son to a school run by a governing body that desperately tried to cover up what amounts to a massive child abuse scandal?"

At his last remark, there were murmurs of discontent from the jury and the gallery. Trent had gone pale; Nick and Jeff were on the brink of tears. "Dalton is only a school," Wes whispered, loud enough that all of his fellow Warblers could hear. "It will survive this. He is right that the media is going to have a field day with this - but Principal Carmichael was savvy enough to know that he had to get rid of all the governors involved. The new board is completely different, made up of caring, respected individuals, not just moneymen. One of them is Burt Hummel. Times will be tough for Dalton, but it will make it. We will not lose our school because of him."

"So yeah, once again I got away with it. Banned from ever entering a show choir competition ever again, but that isn't a big deal. I'd won one choral competition after another at Eisenhower. My uncle lost his job and was banned from teaching in Ohio, so he had to move to the deep south. My parents were another story - my mother was shocked to find out about Jeffrey; my dad angry as hell. He beat me the night I was formally expelled from Dalton; for failing in my mission, for not thinking things through and for allowing myself to become contaminated by that fag. Anyone would have thought that I had been doing more to him than blackmail and torture. I was belted until my ass bled, and was scarred - ironic, I think. Unlike those two fags yesterday, I'm not going to show it to anyone. A real man doesn't display his wounds. The last thing that my father said to me that night was that vengeance was a need that had to be met. I had to get my own back - that was my right, and my duty as a Clarington. That comment was the one that set in motion the chain of events that brought us to this courtroom…"

"It was almost too easy in the end. I began to follow Finn Hudson around. He had decided to go to a local college to take courses so that he could officially become a teacher. He would have been such a disaster at that. Let me be blunt - Finn Hudson was a brain dead jock who struggled to put a coherent sentence together. How he would ever have managed a lesson plan - it just beggars belief that anyone could actually think that he could do it as a full time job. He 'inspired' the kids with his love of music - but tried to be cool and hang out with them at the same time. Imagine how creepy that would have been in ten years time. He didn't even notice me following him around every day in the same car. I just had to take my chance when it came. It took a while, but he drove to Columbus one day - it was late by the time he returned to the car to drive back home to Lima. It was raining heavily, the road surfaces slippery. I almost missed him as he pulled up at the rest stop, and ran into the toilet block. The place was deserted - no-one to witness me crawl under his car and nick the brake lines just enough to drain the fluid, but not so much that it looked like more than wear and tear. He came back and drove off - I let his speed build up, and then I overtook and cut in front of him just before an overbridge. His wheels locked as he pumped the brakes, but the car didn't slow. He hydroplaned and smashed into the pillars of the bridge at a good 60mph. It was quick I heard - instant. I'd have liked him to suffer if I am honest, but hey ho…"

There were by now sounds of sobbing from the gallery - from Carole and Rachel, but also from Quinn and Marley. Most eyes were wet, stunned by the callous nature with which he talked about death.

"You see, the thing here is that his death was due to his speed on a wet road. If he had been going slower, then he wouldn't have had to brake so sharply. So yes, I cut his brake lines, I was the person that caused him to brake, but his speed killed him, not me. I didn't murder him, he did it to himself - death by misadventure maybe? I ditched that car that night - set fire to it in an old factory yard. The number plates were fakes, so I ditched them for the real ones. The fake ones I discarded in the grounds of Dalton Academy. The number on them matches those on the car of one of the then students, as had the type of car. The student in question - Trent Nixon."

"So, one down, several more to go. At first, I thought only to eliminate those directly involved in the destruction of my plans - namely Blaine, Sam, Trent, Nick and Jeffrey, in that order. But it turns out that it wasn't as easy as that. Blaine was well protected by his friends at McKinley; the Hummels; even at home, the darn housekeeper was always around. I did think about attacking her whilst he was at school, lying in wait for him, making it look like a robbery gone wrong. But the house was overlooked and the neighbours too nosy. I any case, I wanted him to suffer, not be quick like Hudson. Then it dawned on me. His fiancé. His precious Kurt. It would break his heart if anything was to happen to him. As a bonus, it would hurt Sam Evans and the Warblers too. Plus it was a suitable punishment for Burt Hummel - losing a stepson is bad, but his own flesh and blood… I knew I had to bide my time, wait for the perfect opportunity, ideally not in Ohio. So I had Kurt watched in New York - discretely followed. My little gang of soldiers, whose loyalty was without question would see to that. Dan and Brent took it in turns to follow Hummel. Sometimes they followed the diva, sometimes the mad Latina. There wasn't a moment of their lives that I didn't know all about. Summer came, and Blaine moved in with them, bringing Sam along as a bonus. Then something came to my notice in the small print of the _New York Times. _At the same time, Santana Lopez's ditzy blonde girlfriend was pleading to go to pride…"

"It is the one thing that none of you have figured out yet. My secret plot. Of course, neither Dan or Brent were too happy with the idea, but I threatened them with punishment and they obeyed. Ask yourselves," he said, turning his gaze up to the wall of Warblers in the gallery, "why did Kurt and Blaine suddenly decide to rush into marriage? Because they overheard two drag queens talking about the forthcoming challenge and the subsequent moratorium on the issuing of marriage licences to gay couples. Two really bad drag queens. Who would have answered to the names Danielle and Brenda if anyone had asked…"

Hunter stopped, and started to laugh. In the gallery, puzzled faces suddenly gave way to shock and horror. Overhearing that conversation had been chance - fate. It seemed not. It had all been part of a plan, to lure them into an action that would ultimately steer them both to an early grave.

"Like I thought, they rushed out to get their licence. I was able to get everything in place. Develop my plans for dealing with the others. And not just those I originally named. The Warblers had to be expunged in their entirety - none of them could be allowed to live. With one exception - Sebastian. Killing him would have let the double crossing meerkat get away far too easily. I would lock him in a world of silence and pain instead. Remove the saints of the Council and their closest friends from previous years. Make it look like Nixon had turned into a deranged killer who had slaughtered his friends. Make it so that the mention of the Dalton Academy Warblers brought up images of cold blooded murder. Then the date of the wedding was published by City Hall - isn't bureaucracy wonderful? They gave me all I needed to know on the internet. My spies overheard Blaine on his phone, arranging the hotel room for himself and his brother. We saw them setting up the diner. All we had to do was wait for them. My only sorrow was that Kurt would not be with Blaine. Then fortune smiled upon me. His conceited stuff-up of a brother was late - again. Blaine was a little drunk. When Kurt accompanied him out of the diner to walk him to the hotel - well wasn't that a nice early Christmas present…"

"The perfect moment to strike was when they kissed. Right there, in the middle of the avenue, in front of normal people. Trying to infect us all with their sick behaviour. Sure, these days the general view is that it is not an illness, not a condition. But it isn't normal for a man to lie with a man, to marry another man, to have a child together. So I was about to do the world a favour by eliminating two perverts. I was wearing a mask so that Blaine would not recognise me. He tried to defend himself and his boyfriend, but my old Louisville Slugger soon dealt with that - had him slumped to the ground as his precious Kurt screamed. It was such a relief when I left Blaine and smashed my bat into his chest, because it shut him up. Made him fall to the ground. My next blow was to his face - it was a good one, it smashed it in. He barely whimpered after that - it doesn't take much to shatter a faggot. Now everyone thinks that my second blow was the one that was in the end fatal, and rid the world of Kurt Hummel. Fact is, after I did it, Dan, Brent and Sean gave him a good few kicks, to the head, chest and groin. I believe that one of their kicks broke off part of a rib, which then punctured his lung. That made it hard for him to breathe. In the end, that was a major factor in his death. So you see, I didn't murder Kurt. I destroyed his face, fractured his ribs; but someone else gave him a punctured lung and inflicted more damage on his skull."

There was stunned silence in the court. "How on earth can he stand there and say that Finn basically committed suicide by driving too fast; that Kurt died of a punctured lung inflicted by a well aimed kick to the chest, and that his baseball bat had nothing to do with it?" whispered Puck.

"Because he is nuttier than a jar of peanut butter," came another quiet whisper. "Next he will be saying that Kurt walked into his bat…" Everyone turned round to look at Kitty, in silent agreement with everything she had just said.

"So there we were; Kurt lying in a pool of blood, his gay face unrecognisable. We stood back and admired our work. By this time, Anderson had come round, and was crawling - well more sliding along towards Kurt. His movement was slow and pitiful. The time had come to end him. So I walked over, bat at the ready - my target the back of his head. I debated whether I should allow him to make his way right over to Hummel and let him see his destroyed face; then as he hovered above him, smash down on him to meld their faces in one mess. I decided against it, raised my bat, and then…the siren. Someone had called the cops, a hidden and unexpected witness. I couldn't be caught, not yet, when I still had so much revenge to take. So we ran for it, left Blaine alive. That made me so angry at first - he was the main target and he should have died. Then it came to me that he would suffer so much with the death of Kurt. It would destroy him, eat away at his soul. It was perfect - I could finish him off later. I wanted that pleasure - I wanted to see his eyes as I told him that he had brought death to Kurt and Finn. That Sam, Trent and his precious Warbler friends would die too. I tried at the hospital more than once - if that darn nurse hadn't come along, I would have killed him and the cripple together. Have got rid of two weak links in one go. No, in the end I was to be denied the pleasure of watching him die, and all thanks to the slip of a finger when sending a text…"


	50. Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part IV

**February 26****th**** 2014: Testimony of Hunter Clarington Part Four**

"It was my own fault, of course. I should have deleted Sebastian from my cellphone the moment that I was expelled from Dalton, but I didn't. I was planning to use his number one day to lure him to his fate, but he was the last person that I intended to call that night. We had all split up as we ran from, as I thought at the time, the police. I had asked Dan to ensure that he kept an eye on Tommy - he was showing signs of weakness. In retrospect, he should never have been involved in my plans. He was a queer like Kurt and Blaine, and when it came to the crunch, he just couldn't obey his orders. The others scattered to the corners of the city - Dan had a crash pad in Queens; Brent had friends in the Bronx; and Sean had an aunt on Staten Island. I sent them all a text once I had Tommy back with me in my bolt hole in Harlem. Just a joking text about my earlier message that those boys had suffered an accident. At the time, when Sean replied "What text?" I just thought he was showing me that he had covered his tracks. It was only when it was too late that I saw that I had sent a text to Dan, Tommy, Brent and Sebastian at 18.30. One slip of the finger - damned i-phone."

"I kept Tommy with me, kept a low profile. Part of me wanted to send someone to spy on Kurt's funeral, but in the end, I didn't. Just waited for the news of Blaine's death. You see, I knew that he had been attacked, before coming to Dalton, at a Sadie Hawkins dance. All in the Dalton records. I knew that the guy he was with that night had died. He never talked about it, except to Saint Wes. Not even Kurt knew that Peter, his date, died that night. That Blaine had to undergo intensive therapy to be able to even face the world again. That he almost killed himself twice over his guilt in taking Peter to his death. The Zimmerman family moved away from Westerville in the aftermath - they could no longer bear to live in the town, and they wanted to protect Peter's twin brother from the pain of seeing Blaine on a daily basis. He has never forgotten his brother, but he also doesn't blame Blaine. He was the only one who blames himself."

"So I knew he would feel guilty about Kurt. He was weak, and sooner or later he would give in to the temptation and end his life. I gave him two weeks to do so before I gave him a push - the accidental death of his brother. I had thought about just injuring Cooper, but in the end, the only thing that was certain to act on Blaine was the death of the only family member that gave a damn. He managed to kill himself dead on time. He no doubt hoped to be reunited with Kurt in the afterlife. I'm sure that he was - him and all the other deviants are doubtless rotting in hell together. With any luck, the worthless step-brother is with them."

In the gallery, things were remarkably calm. Burt had warned them all at the outset to stay calm and regard every single word he said as one more that would send him to prison. The irony was that the majority of them knew that the three of them were together. In a better place most of the time. But right now, they were sitting on the ledge above the dock, all clad in a Dalton uniform. Had been since Hunter had begun his story. The only change had been in their faces - they were getting angrier as he said more and more.

"I heard about Blaine's demise in the early afternoon. I felt elated - I had achieved my second goal and removed two of the six people that had sunk my plans for the Warblers. I decided that the Evans family would die on the day of Blaine's funeral, so that Sam would already be in a highly emotional state when he was informed. I gave him 48 hours at the most after that. He was as weak as the others - too emotional, too empathetic. That would destroy him in the end, his empathy. Are real soldier will tell you that the two most dangerous, yet useless emotions, are love and empathy. All they get you is hurt. But it wasn't to be, of course. By then I had been arrested, along with Tommy. Somehow, they had got it all right in their heads - or Blaine had, in his last act on this earth. Sebastian was so stupid, he hadn't even twigged to the time issue. That was how I initially thought that I had escaped detection for my error. In the end, I was detained, unjustly, on two charges of murder. Which, as I have stated, were not really murder at all."

"The deaths of Hudson, Hummel and Anderson should not be mourned. None of them were of significance on a world scale, nor would they ever have been. It is all about the survival of the fittest in the end, and they were weak and expendable. We live in times were we need strong capable men who will fight to the death to protect our values against a rising tide of liberalism and diversity. Hudson tried to be a soldier, but shot himself in the foot, quite literally. There is no place for such stupidity. Plus he was a liberal thinker, his mind polluted by his relationship with his stepbrother. Some say that Hummel had potential to be a star on the Great White Way. There is a place for entertainment, but it should be of a wholesome nature, delivered by good men, not a squeaky voiced faggot. Anderson was talented - I saw that much myself, but in the end, his potential was ruined by his obsessive love for Hummel. If he had taken the lesson from his initial beating, maybe there could have been a place for him. In the state he was in, then no - he did not deserve to live."

"If I think about it, none of their closest friends can be described as fit to live. Some might say that Mr Puckerman, an airman, is proof that I am wrong. I say, no - an airman is not a soldier - he does not look the enemy in the eye as he destroys him. He hides behind glass and metal and kills from a distance. In any case, he has been polluted by his relationship with - what is the term they used? - Oh, yes, Klaine. My sources tell me he was a big supporter of their union. In my book, supporting the perverts makes you one. Same applies to Saint Wes, the almighty leader of the Warblers. Allowed Anderson to be the front man, instead of a heterosexual - those were in short supply from what I hear. He created a culture in which someone's voice was more important than anything else. So ingrained it that Anderson's replacement was the slut Smythe. He allowed the corruption to infect the other members of the group - Nick Duval was turned by my brother, for one. That is why they all had to die. All should have died had it not been for my one error. I should just have blown up Hummel's funeral and got it over with sooner. Because none of them are fit to live. They are not what we need today to save our society. We need strength and moral standards. Old fashioned values of God and country first. No liberalism. That was and is my father's creed, and that is mine. We will triumph in the end. That will be justice, because this, here and now, is not…"

At that point, the judge called a halt for lunch. The court cleared of people, apart from the public gallery, where no-one, apart from the couple at the back, moved until the rest of the room was empty. Even then, there was silence, until it was finally broken by the phrase "Psychotic douche bag" from the lips of Unique.

"You can say that again," said Mercedes, who was sitting next to her. "I mean, is there anyone he actually likes, apart from himself? Ok, so his father sounds like he is partially responsible for things, but to try and blame the whole thing on his victims? Hell to the no!"

"Show of hands," said Puck, in almost a whisper, "of those who would like to kill him right now?"

Every hand was raised apart from one - Jeff's. There were puzzled stares and frowns, until he said "To begin with, I'd rather we had lunch first…" bringing a burst of laughter from the assembled company, "and secondly, I would like to have killed him, at Dalton, the day he began to blackmail me. Then all this could have been avoided. Everyone would have been alive and happy."

"Except me," said Nick quietly. "because you would be in prison, on death row - and I would have been alone forever…" Mindful of what Jeff had said, they filed out to get some lunch, leaving the courtroom seemingly deserted…

Apart from three angels, sat on a ledge, surveying the now empty room. Each and every word from Hunter's mouth that morning had been like a knife wound. They had known that it was going to be bad, but even they had not prepared for the sheer quantity of bile that he was going to produce.

"Let's look at the positive side to his tirade," Blaine said to the other two. "He has managed to show himself off in the worst possible light. He has given his misogynistic views to a female judge, and also offended 50% of the jury with that one…"

"His racism has hurt others - when you add in the anti-Semitism and the homophobia, he has probably hurt a few more jurors," said Kurt.

"Yeah, most of the jurors were looking at him like he was the devil incarnate," exclaimed Finn. "I think that we are definitely going to get a verdict of guilty."

"In less than an hour, probably," remarked Blaine. "And then we know what will happen next. Where we have to be, and what we have to do…" He looked at Finn and Kurt, who both nodded bravely. At that moment, the door to the gallery squeaked open, to reveal Puck and Sam, deep in conversation. The three angels made their way over to join them.

"Rocking the uniform there, Puck," said Finn.

"Likewise. When they first suggested it, I thought that it was a silly idea, but it's weird, it makes me feel even closer to the group, and it has seriously affected Clarington…"

"We overheard his lawyer talking to the guy that has been sitting at the back - turns out that is his father, Gordon. Mr Masterton had more or less given Hunter a script to stick to. And he has more or less ripped it up and let all of his hate out instead. There is no doubt now which way this will go," said Sam.

"I think that this afternoon could be even more amusing," said Kurt, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Mr Rosen is going to make him look even worse… and there might just be a bit of a draught for Hunter to contend with, from above."


	51. Cross Examination of Hunter Clarington

**February 26****th**** 2014: Cross Examination of Hunter Clarington**

No-one lingered over their lunch that day - everyone wanted to be back in the court in plenty of time for the next part of the trial; Mr Rosen's examination of Hunter.

"Couldn't we just have him say 'You're a psycho' and be done with it?" asked Jake.

"Ah, but there would be no fun in that, little bro," replied Puck.

Kitty was murmuring something about pelting Hunter with rotten fruit. There was no need for the cry of "Silence in court" when the judge returned. The whole place fell silent the moment that Hunter stepped onto the stand again. This was their moment.

"Mr Clarington, in your testimony you have stated at every chance you had, that you were innocent of all the charges brought against you, and that anyone and everyone else was to blame instead of you. My question is this - do you take responsibility for anything in your life? Or is it the case that when something doesn't go your way, it has to be someone's fault?"

"It usually is someone else's fault. I am following the correct path through life, and on my way, I find that I am prevented from doing so by the actions of the idiots around me, who do not understand or even comprehend their errors."

"So basically, you are right, and the rest of humanity is wrong. Do you ever just consider that it might possibly be the other way round?"

"There is nothing wrong with my ideas, if that is what you are implying. It's the rest of society that has got it wrong. There is too much tolerance and freedom today - people would be better off if they were guided by the firm hand of the strong, instead of being lead by the weak."

"And you are one of the strong?"

"Definitely. I know what I want; believe in myself and in my right to live my life in the way I see fit."

"But only you have that right - to live your life in the way that you see fit. And the rest of the world just has to bow to your whims? Even when you break the laws of this country?"

"Not all the laws of this country are right. Some states are better than other - not so liberal."

"Like Ohio, with its death penalty for murder. Surely you would agree that it is better than liberal, no death penalty New York."

"Yes, the appropriate punishment should always be dealt out."

"So you must be angry that your father stepped in to prevent this trial being moved to Ohio. After all, here you will have a jury of wishy washy liberals who can't even condemn a murderer to death, unlike in Ohio. Or are you actually quite glad to be here, where if you are found guilty, you will only be incarcerated, and not put to death?"

"I'm not guilty."

"That is for the jury to decide. You went to Dalton with the sole aim of helping your uncle to get a win for the Warblers. Did he need it 'at any cost'?"

"Yes, he needed to impress the governors in his first year."

"And the health and safety of a group of young men aged between 15 and 19 was not a consideration - it was victory that mattered?"

"The weak would fall by the wayside, yes. No battle can be won without casualties of some kind. And a lot of those boys were expendable. The closet cases - it is no wonder that my uncle used to refer to Dalton as a gay school; it is full of fags. The liars and the cheats could go too - at least those that did not do it for the greater good."

"And I presume that your elder brother fell into that category? A weakling that did not deserve to live…"

"Yes, Jeffrey deserved all that he got, as did his little friend Nicholas. The way they acted - it disgusted me."

"But you used your brother to your advantage. Blackmailing him firstly at Dalton, and then, no doubt, in bringing him here as your only witness. I expect that you thought he would still be petrified of exposure by you; would sit and state that you were not responsible. Would say that your relationship with your egomaniac of a father set you on the wrong course. But as it turned out, he had more courage than you imagined."

"Yeah, he suddenly found his balls. Maybe his little friend let go of them for 5 minutes. I should have killed the two of them when I had the chance. After all, my uncle would have helped me to deal with the bodies; and I had a witness in Sebastian to their plans to run away together. Yeah, I should have gone all Edward II on them - Nicholas first, to make Jeffrey suffer, then sent him to hell right behind him…"

In the gallery, Nick and Jeff sat side by side, hands clasped tightly. Neither was crying, as his words could no longer shock or harm them. In the main body of the court, Mr Masterton sat with his head in his hands - once again, his client had just blown everything.

"Let us move on from your desire to murder your brother and his now fiancé. Let us move on to the actual deaths here - Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson. The first two dead at your hand; the third left so traumatised by your actions that he committed suicide. My big question - you were caught, fair and square, in the act of breaking the rules of show choir. You knew the rules of the competition before entering the halls of Dalton. Why target those that live by those rules?"

"Because I hated them, and all the other members of the Nude Erections. I was in a military academy choir before; there the singing is about a sense of camaraderie. To give strength and encouragement. In public high school, it seemed to be a place for all the freaks and outcasts. The same was true of the Warblers when I got to Dalton. Had those Lima losers not stopped me, I would have reshaped the Warblers into a proper choir. An army bound together in their desire to win, not a joy in singing."

"So you admit to hating the New Directions. To wishing those that had upset your plans dead?"

"Yeah. It's not like any of them are a great loss to society. As I already said, who is really going to miss a dumb jock and two Broadway obsessed fags? There are more than enough others out there to take their place. I mean, Kurt and Blaine were about to get married, and no doubt, one day, would have tried to have kids with a surrogate. No doubt would have corrupted the innocent mind of that child to believe the same as them, assisted by the dumb jock, the diva and their sappy friends. It makes me sick to even think about that. They deserved to die, all of them. Firstly because they were involved in destroying my plans for domination…"

"Except Mr Hummel.."

"He was collateral damage - but he was just as worthless as the other two. I couldn't even try to beat the fairy out of him and Blaine - far too late. I only wanted Anderson back in the Warblers because his voice would help us win. No they had to die - they deserved it. One day the world will be thankful that I had the guts to do it."

"To do what, Mr Clarington - to murder them? But I thought that you were innocent? Because it sounds to me like you have just admitted that it was you…and this time, you can't blame your cellphone for the accidental revelation…"

If it had been permitted to applaud in a court of law, then most of the gallery would have risen to their feet to give Mr Rosen a standing ovation. In one fell swoop, he had tricked Hunter into admitting that he had committed the murders. Burt smiled down upon him - he had come highly recommended; he wasn't cheap, but he was darn good. That much had just been shown. Next to Burt, Cooper felt like punching the air. He had managed to achieve justice for his brother and his husband - they had found a lawyer that could make the scumbag admit the truth. Instead, he just reached down and took the hand of Grace Duval, sat next to him, and smiled. She was smiling back. In the row behind him, Nick couldn't help smiling too. He was glad that his sister had finally found someone that made her happy, even if it did mean that he was going to get Cooper as a brother-in-law. He would have to have a one on one chat with him about how he wanted Grace treated.

Right at the back, there was one person that was definitely not smiling - Gordon Clarington. Next to him sat his wife Elspeth - she was not happy that Hunter was going to be found guilty, but at the same time she did not condone what he had done, or his motivation - and she never would…

"Mr Clarington, rather than persist with your elaborate charade of innocence, would it not have been better, kinder to admit that you were responsible for the murders of Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel? You say that if Finn had not been driving too fast, then he would not have died. But had you not damaged the brake line of his car, causing his brakes to fail, then his speed would not have mattered. Had you not planned to kill Blaine Anderson in revenge for exposing you misdemeanours at Dalton, then Kurt Hummel would not have been placed in the firing line of a brutal attack with a baseball bat. He did not hit himself with it, nor did Blaine. You say that a kick from one of your accomplices was potentially the fatal blow - wrong I'm afraid. We have a copy of the autopsy report from the hospital - Kurt Hummel died from brain damage as a result of blunt trauma - this had caused the fracturing of his skull, a piece of which was found lodged in his brain. Your second blow to Mr Hummel was guaranteed to be fatal when it combined with the damage to his rib cage you inflicted with your first. That is fact. Expert opinion."

Mr Rosen paused for breath, and then started again. "You can continue to say that it was another of your gang. But the fact remains that they would not have been there if you hadn't lead them to a young couple on the cusp of marriage; a relationship of several years, a deep loving fellowship. Beautiful and inspiring to all those around them. You robbed Blaine Anderson of his future that night. You took away all his hopes for the future - made this world seem bleak and empty, his life pointless. You contributed directly to his demise. Would he even have considered suicide if Kurt had been by his side? You know from the evidence, as does the rest of this court, that he would never have taken his path to destruction had it not been for your brutal murder of his husband to be. You are not on trial for that - and the jury must not judge you on this. But you are guilty. No-one else can be blamed for your actions. Not the bad parenting from your father. Not the poor education that you received at school after school. You are at fault. You, Mr Clarington. You committed these crimes, and that makes you weak, not strong."

For a moment, there was silence in the court. No-one in the gallery could even breathe, such was the tension. Everyone was waiting for what they knew was coming. At his table, Mr Masterton sat with his head in his hands, almost as if he was praying that Hunter would not blow things any more than he already had. His prayers, like those of so many the night Kurt died, would not be answered.

"You think you are so clever, don't you. Tricking me like that. Typical of the nasty tricks that you people play, Mr Rosen. By you people, I mean Jews, of course. Bet you are charging a lot of money for this. A hell of a lot of money. Ok, so I admit. I am guilty of killing two worthless men - the first one was not nearly as much fun as the second was, though. Watching Hudson's car crash into that bridge felt nowhere near as good as smashing Hummel's gay face in. I wish I had been given the chance to smash Anderson's skull in the same way - his stupid gelled hair clotted with blood and bone. Have to admit I admire the way he chose to go. Faggots usually choose to take an overdose or slash at their wrists. A gun is a man's choice. If I could have got hold of one that night - smashed Anderson in the legs with my bat, and then made him watch helpless as I forced his boy in front of him, and blew Kurt's brains out all over his face. He would have begged me to end him - and I wish I had. Taken the chance to kill him in the hospital. Got rid of Artie Abrams too - oh yeah, I know all of your names. I know that you and that dreadlocked freak made that Youtube video - that was the start of the end. Then my revenge could have been completed and I could have made my father proud of me. That I had avenged myself and destroyed those that had upset my plans. Got rid of two liberal glee clubs once and for all. No more Warblers, no more New Directions. My dream come true. And when I get out of here, when I am found not guilty, then you had all better watch your backs…"

The judge had, by this point, had enough. She called for silence, to be answered with the statement "I do not respect a woman judge's authority - go back to your kitchen" from Hunter. There was a gasp of shock from around the court, and then the sound of a gavel being banged hard.

"Mr Masterton, I suggest that you take your client back to the cells right now. We have all heard more than enough from him. I would suggest that you exercise more control on what he does and says in this court, out of respect for me, the family and friends of his victims, and the entire legal system. I would also suggest that despite the fact that he passed all the tests as sane last month, he has some sort of disorder that a psychiatric evaluation might help. Take him down. This court is adjourned until tomorrow, for the closing arguments of both legal teams."

With that, Hunter was escorted back to the cells, his lawyer following after him with his tail most definitely between his legs. All in all, it had been a good day for the prosecution case. Hunter had admitted his guilt, and given an almost blow by blow description of his actions. There was no place for doubts now - Hunter was almost certain to be convicted.


	52. WOHN News 8 - February 26th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 26****th**** 2014**

_And now once again it is over to New York for today's developments in the trial of Hunter Clarington. And I believe today that the accused was on the stand himself… over to Jacob and Sue in Manhattan._

"Thanks Rod - yes, Sue and I spent today in the press box. And your opinion on Hunter Clarington?"

"He has issues - he is a racist for starters…"

"Anti-semitic and homophobic…"

"And worst of all, a misogynist."

"We were treated to the tragic tale of his childhood, were his father decided that he should be a human version of G.I. Joe - not for Hunter a childhood of innocent games, free of the cares of the adult world."

"When most kids were learning to ride a bike, his dad was trying to teach him how to drive a tank. And shoot a semi-automatic."

"He was told at an early age to ignore his mother; to despise his brother. That he was strong. That the world was made for the fittest to survive in and for the weak - everyone else - to die in."

"This manifested itself in his behaviour in his many, many schools. Usually, he was expelled for attempting to injure someone - in some cases, he was successful. Then his path crossed that of Finn Hudson and my sweet Porcelain…"

"Kurt Hummel to most…"

"Thank you, Jacob. He came into their lives and destroyed them."

"For most of the trial, he has denied that he committed murder. Even today, he attempted to blame Finn and Kurt for their own deaths…"

"But the prosecution lawyer broke him, and made him admit his guilt. He is worth every cent that is being paid for him. Of course, that sent Clarington off into another rant, in which he told the judge to be quiet, as there was no place for her in the legal system - or indeed for any woman."

"At that point the judge ordered Hunter down, and adjourned the case until tomorrow. Then we will get the closing statements of the brilliant Mr Rosen…"

"…and the mediocre Mr Masterton. And boy, is he going to have his work cut out for him. Might just as well say, ok, he's guilty."

"After that, the judge will add her own directions, and the jury will be sent out. We cannot be sure when the verdict will be delivered…"

"Though I do have $500 riding on within 30 minutes with some of the hacks in the press box."

"The judge is then likely to ask for impact statements before passing sentence."

"And I will be making one, given the chance. I have no doubt that Burt and Cooper will allow it."

"As I said, no definitive date yet for the conclusion of the trial, but I don't expect to be reporting from here next week."

"Which means that I will be back at work at McKinley. I have to admit, I will actually miss New York. Despite the fact that it is full of some of the world's worst idiots, I have actually found some like minded souls, and some passable places to eat and drink. But Ohio is home…"

"I will be back this time tomorrow with a full day's report. Should a verdict be reached sooner, then you will hear about it first here on WOHN. I am Jacob Ben Israel and this is Sue Sylvester, reporting live from New York."

_Well Andrea, it looks as if we will be getting some closure soon in this case. From a personal viewpoint can I just say that the facts in this case have touched me deeply - I witnessed all of the victims singing in my role as a judge in show choir competitions. Without a doubt, Clarington has robbed us all of several great talents. And as Sue has said before, if he is guilty, he deserves a capital sentence._

* * *

That night, for the first time since they had all been together in New York, no-one wanted to go out. It had been a hard day, listening to the vile words of intolerance and hatred spewing forth from Hunter's lips. Instead, they arranged to meet up again in the lobby of the court, sans Warbler uniform for the guys. It had been fun to use it to rile up Hunter for a day, but now his chance to give some explanation for his actions was over. He had lost it, and now it was only a matter of time before a guilty verdict was delivered. At the same time, Wes was quite happy for the New Directions to keep the blazers. True, only Sam and Rory were officially honorary members; Finn would be too, if he had his way - the first ever posthumous Warbler. He wondered how the guys would feel about the creation of an associate Warbler category - close friends of the group, open possibly to both sexes. He would work on that after the trial was over.

In the event, the younger generation of the New Directions were invited, along with Mr Schue, to dinner at the Bushwick loft by Carole - and to be fair, she invited the Warblers to join them. There was nowhere near enough furniture for everybody to have a seat, and the cupboards were stripped almost bare, but the company was good. The only absentees from the company that night were Cooper and Grace - the former had booked a table at a little Italian restaurant that he knew, and had invited Grace and her mother to join him. Mrs Duval had made her excuses, and so Cooper ended up on an unofficial date. That night, they ended up talking about their brothers, their plans and the future. They found that they had even more in common than they had thought and when at the end of the night, Cooper walked Grace back to her hotel, he kissed her very politely on the cheek. She responded in kind, and asked him to keep himself free on Saturday for another date. Cooper walked the short distance home through the cold New York air with a spring in his step, pointedly ignoring his brother and Kurt walking along behind him, and repeatedly saying "Cooper's got a girlfriend…"

That night, it snowed again. By now, the good citizens of the city were beginning to wish for a swift move to spring, with March only hours away. It was unseasonably cold and there was no sign of the weather letting up. Beneath the cold sky that night, yet more people were preparing to make their way to court the following day. They had been following events on-line, but now as the climax approached, they wanted to be there in person. Isabelle Wright had arranged two days leave from Vogue. She had already written an article to be posted on the day that Kurt was given the justice that he deserved. Carmen Tibideaux had likewise made arrangements to be absent from NYADA for the next two days. She wanted to see the young man that had cost her two talented students sentenced. Finally, Sugar and Joe were going to make their appearance. She had been out of town until that evening on a trip with her parents; he had abandoned his studies at college in the Midwest to be there for the last moments of the trial. He was currently curled up under a blanket on the sofa in Sugar's modest apartment. All of them had one thing in common - they wanted to see justice done.


	53. Final Statements and Summing Up

**February 27****th**** 2014 : Final Statements and Summing Up**

Long before the judge arrived on that Thursday morning, the gallery was full - every seat taken by a close friend or acquaintance of the victims. Elliot and Dani had arrived, the former now finished with his jury service on the other case. They had been the last to appear, but only one seat remained - until Artie suggested that Kitty sat on his lap as she had done so many times at McKinley. There was a quiet hum of conversation as they awaited the arrival of the judge. Then, Hunter was brought up to the dock - this time, Kitty booed before she could stop herself, then fixed an icy glare on the man in the dock. Nobody else knew quite how to react, but it wasn't with anger. She was expressing how they all felt. The villain had arrived on the stage and the audience should show its disapproval. The lawyers arrived next - Mr Rosen full of confidence, Mr Masterton looking haggard. The judge then appeared, and after ordering silence, with an especial glare in the direction of Hunter, the trial restarted, with Mr Rosen summing up the case for the prosecution.

"The world of show choir is highly competitive - it always has been. In my younger days, my school glee club competed hard, and won. Sacrifices often have to be made. Other activities which clash with it may have to be abandoned; friends may be lost; relationships changed. But in all my experience, a human sacrifice has never been necessary. Yet last year, in Ohio, one man decided that having been exposed as a cheat, he would extract revenge on those that told the truth. The only form of revenge he thought suitable was murder. We have heard Mr Clarington say that he did not kill Mr Hudson, his speed did. He did not kill Kurt Hummel, a kick from an associate did. Presumably it was not his use of a baseball bat that left Blaine Anderson with multiple fractures. The fact are these:- he cut Finn Hudson's brakes; he shattered Kurt Hummel's skull and damaged his brain; and he confined Blaine Anderson to a wheelchair at his fiancé's funeral. It was not someone else."

"You may feel sorry for him; blame the way he was raised under a domineering father and a mother too weak, or too frightened to intervene. Yes, he was not really given a chance to be a child - trained to be a soldier from day one. Yet, as we discovered, Jeff Sterling was exposed to the same upbringing for the first six years of his life, I presume, and he has not turned out to be a murderer. Nurture plays a role, but nature is the greatest force here. Mr Clarington does not see anything wrong with what he has done - there is no contrition, no remorse. He no doubt thinks that his father can write a cheque, as he has done at Hunter's schools before, and this will be swept under the carpet. He has already tried to pay Blaine Anderson's parents to drop their part of the case. Unluckily for him, the charges had been brought by Cooper, his brother, and not his parents. We have heard evidence of the sadistic cruelty that he directed towards the Warblers, including his own brother. There can be no doubt that the deaths of Finn and Kurt were pre-meditated - part of a plan. If you think, members of the jury, that he did not commit the murders, then you must find him Not Guilty. If you believe that he did, then regardless of his upbringing, you must declare him Guilty on all the charges laid against him.

There were no protests at the content of the summing up. It was concise, clear and to the point. It had no flowery language or reasoning. It was exactly right. Now they all awaited Mr Masterton's response - to see what he could say that would make anyone believe that Hunter was innocent. 'He'll play the insanity card,' thought Wes. 'Claim that the steroids had left Hunter temporarily insane and that he was not in full control when he committed the murders. Please to God that they had him tested on his sanity at the time…'

Wes was right. Mr Masterton stood up, and began. "As my learned friend, Mr Rosen said, the world of show choir is highly competitive. It is therefore no place for a young man with mental health issues. At the time of the murders, my client was suffering from an undiagnosed psychosis, brought on by steroid misuse, and years of parental pressure to be the best. With the removal of his elder brother due to his sexuality, my client was the victim of a form of child abuse; he was forced to be a little soldier for his father; to be the strongest and the best at everything, whether it was within his ability or not. His mother was weak and unsupportive, when she was at home. She spent long periods of time away from the family home during Hunter's childhood - happier to be at her sister's house rather than in the marital home, caring for her young son. Immersed from an early age in the macho world of militaria, all his finer feelings were destroyed, as was his young, fragile brain. Hunter should be shown pity by those around him, not the censure that he has been given at this trial. His mental issues have made him violent, unfeeling and cruel. We should be ensuring that my client receives treatment for his problems, so that he can be rehabilitated and returned to society as a decent human being. I would ask the jury to look into their hearts. Is it fair to punish a poor boy, manipulated by an overbearing father and a corrupt uncle, into a murderer? Yes, he did kill Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel, but he was not aware that this was wrong, so indoctrinated was he by his father. By all means, find my client guilty of the charges, but take into account that he has diminished responsibility. He should not be incarcerated in the state penitentiary, but in a secure hospital, where he can be given the appropriate treatment."

As he sat down, Mr Rosen stood up. "Your honour, I have here a copy of the report that was taken at the time of Hunter's initial proposed case in Ohio, for the punishment and victimisation of the Warblers at Dalton Academy." At those words, Mr Masterton went deathly pale. "In it, an eminent psychiatrist, having examined Hunter prior to his attack on Finn Hudson, states that in their opinion, and I quote 'Mr Clarington has ideas which do not fit in with the currently held societal norms; but other than this, he is a sane, rational young man. He knows that murder is wrong, and that what he did to Mr Smythe, Mr Duval and Mr Sterling was out of proportion to their supposed crimes.' In other words, Hunter Clarington is as sane as any other person in this room - and he was at the time he carried out his crimes."

All eyes in the room turned back to Mr Masterton, in the expectation of a rebuttal. If nothing else, a challenge to this new evidence being presented at the last minute, with no warning. All they could see was a man despairingly shuffling his papers. If they could have read his mind, they would have known that he thought that the report in question had been suppressed; all copies destroyed. Then there was the fact that the nameless expert had been given a substantial cheque for their trouble and silence… It was only then that he noticed amongst his papers the unopened envelope, with the crest of the ivy league college stamped on it. An envelope with a clear window in it, in which the top corner of an returned cheque could be seen. He didn't need to open it to know that the professor had heard about the trial; had been keeping abreast of the details, and now satisfied that what he had been asked to do was wrong, had returned the bribe. He looked up at the judge, a haunted expression on his face. With a deep sigh, and with the almost certain knowledge that there was nothing he could now say to avoid losing the case, he opened his mouth and said, "I have nothing to add, your honour. All I can say is that my client has already admitted his guilt. For that reason, I would like to change his plea to Guilty on all charges, on his behalf."

"NO!" A strident voice filled the room. It's tone made Nick, Jeff, Trent and Sebastian flinch involuntarily. They had heard that voice before. It meant only one thing to them. Find somewhere safe and hide - Hunter is on the warpath. Even Wes had frozen at the sound. "My plea does not change. I am not guilty - any right minded, rational person can see that. I did what I had to do to win the battle. To show that my policies are not wrong and never have been, or will be. There are three less people on the planet, but they were not worth saving. I did you all a service. I removed a source of poison. I just wanted to save people from their influence. Get my brother back from them and show him the right way to act. I realised too late that I had no chance of doing that - he was the source of the poison that corrupted Nick Duval. I'm not a murderer - all I did was clean up some of the world's corruption. I am not guilty of the charges - you hear me, I am NOT GUILTY!"

Once more, there was silence across the courtroom. By now, Mr Masterton was as white as a sheet. He wished now that he had stood firm against the wishes of Hunter's father, and commissioned a new assessment of his client's mental wellbeing. He might not have been unhinged back in Ohio, but now, after prison, where he had suffered those episodes when he had screamed the night away, telling everyone about the demonic angels that filled his dreams; when he had wrecked his cell and destroyed all of his belongings - a report now would surely have shown that he was insane. He had tried to kill his cellmate Dan for goodness sake. But it was too late now. All the evidence was stacked against him. He had been as unaware as everyone else that Jeff Sterling was Hunter's brother. That genie had been let out of the bottle and with it, the blackmail plot. Everyone was going to think that he had been involved, as he had agreed to allow him to be summoned. He had misgivings at the time, but they had been dismissed. The amount of money he was being paid was not enough to compensate for the damage that this would do to his reputation and career. He wished that he had never met Hunter. In the dock, only yards away, the young man in question was thinking the exact same about him. He was useless. He deserved to be punished for his failure; for his attempt to alter his plea. And when he got out of here, he was going to be the first to suffer at his hands…

Now it was the turn of the judge to direct the jury. "Members of the jury, you have heard a great deal of harrowing testimony in this courtroom in the course of this trial. Much has been said about the actions of Hunter Clarington whilst he was in charge of the Dalton Academy Warblers. We have heard of, and have seen first hand, the injuries that he inflicted on those who did not bow down to his every whim and command. All of this is relevant to the case as it helps us to establish the character of the accused; the background to the subsequent murder of Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel. It is their deaths that we must focus on here. The innocent victims of a cruel killer - one died because he wanted to ensure that the truth was known; the other because of his love for Blaine Anderson, another of the group that saw to it that justice was done. He was the third of our victims. But once again, you must dismiss the subsequent death of Mr Anderson from your minds. There is no doubt that it was the loss of Mr Hummel and the subsequent guilt he felt over it, that lead him to take his own life. But we cannot accuse Hunter Clarington of killing him, desirable as that might be. You must only consider the three charges in front of you - the murders of Mr Hudson and Mr Hummel, and the attempted murder of Mr Anderson. In light of what I have heard, I will be writing to the authorities in Ohio to suggest that a case be opened into the events at Dalton Academy under Mr Clarington. We all know now that three boys have been left physically scarred for life. They must be given justice too. But that is for another court, on another day. You must only consider the evidence given in relation to the three charges laid before you in this court. If you have any doubt as to his intentions, then you must find him not guilty of that particular charge. If you are certain that he did do as he was accused, then you must have no hesitation in finding him guilty."


	54. February 27th 2014 : The Verdict

_So here it is - no prizes for guessing what it is..._

**February 27****th**** 2014 : The Verdict**

It was just before 11.00am - 10.57am to be precise - as the jury walked out. Some left the room - the judge, the lawyers, Hunter - but in the gallery, no-one moved. Something told them that it would be pretty pointless to do so. They would be back very soon. This was not going to be one of those cases in which the jury debated for days on end, sequestered away in a hotel room. Yet as they waited, each minute seemed to take forever. "Do you think it would be wrong of us to summon up one of the boys and send them to the jury room?" Rachel thought out loud.

"I don't think that you can hold a séance in a court of law, Rachel," said Sebastian in a curt tone, gesturing with his head towards Flint and Beats, who were giving her a confused look.

"We've already been in Rach," said Finn's voice all of a sudden, "and there wasn't much to see - they were drinking coffee and eating blueberry muffins. I think they might have made their minds up already."

"Though if they have and don't come back in the next three minutes, Sue will kill them," said Kurt, materialising at Finn's side. "She's got a bet on with the rest of the press pack that they'll have a verdict in less than 30 minutes, and it's 11.24 now…"

At that, there was a sudden flurry of activity. "We have a verdict," said the guard on the door to the corridor. This was it. The moment when justice was done. All awaited it impatiently, apart from Sue - she was too busy collecting her winnings from the other journalists before they ran off.

The judge was the last person to return. She settled in her seat, and then called for the foreperson of the jury to deliver their verdict.

"On the charge of the Murder in the First Degree of Finn Hudson, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty."

"On the charge of the Murder in the First Degree of Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty."

"On the charge of the Attempted Murder in the First Degree of Blaine Devon Anderson, how do you find the defendant?"

"Guilty."

"And those are the verdicts of you all?"

"Yes ma'am. 100% unanimous."

As the first verdict was given, both Carole and Rachel had burst into tears, partly of grief but mainly of delight. He had died nearly a year ago now, and for so much of that time, they had thought they had lost a son, a soulmate, in a tragic accident. Now they knew differently. Now they had justice for him. He had died a terrible death by being what everyone had taught him to be - an honest, decent human being, dedicated to telling the truth. Nearby, Puck and Quinn were equally satisfied. His death had brought them back together. Puck like that, and the fact it had also given him a new purpose in life. But they both missed him, so much, and would gladly give up all that they now had to have him back. Nothing could bring him back - getting him justice helped.

As the second verdict was given, Burt smiled. He missed his son each and every day. As Carole had said just after Finn died, each morning he woke up, and for just a second, he thought it was all a dream. He had lost his only son, but had gained two new ones - Cooper and Rory. They could never replace Finn and Kurt, nor would they ever try to. They made him feel he was still a dad. That one day, a young child would still call him Gramps. Mercedes was also smiling, happy that her boo had got the justice that he deserved. He hadn't needed or deserved to be caught up in all of this, but if it had been Blaine killed and not him - well their positions would probably just have ended up swapped.

The final verdict gave Cooper and Sam a sense of peace for the first time in months. The fact that the judge had recognised Hunter's role in Blaine's death was appreciated and welcome. The verdict wasn't going to bring him back. The physical presence was never going to be there again for either of them. The whole sorry story had brought Cooper decent 'parents' who cared in Burt and Carole; a new 'little brother' in the shape of Sam; and it seemed, a chance of love with Grace Duval. He would still trade it all in to have Blaine there by his side. Sam had gained a share in a loft; money that he would use to pay himself and his siblings through college; and a place at NYADA, something that was beyond his wildest dreams. But like Cooper….

He looked around him, at the deep hug that Santana was giving Brittany; at the fist bumps that Artie and Kitty were giving to the nearest Warblers; at the reunited Mike and Tina; and at the looks of sheer relief on the faces of Nick, Jeff, Trent and Sebastian, now that their tormentor was going to get the punishment he richly deserved. Sam was satisfied, but oh, how he wished that he could turn the clock back to the start of the school year in 2012. Rewrite everything and start again. He wished he had the ability to ensure that Hunter Clarington had never gone to Dalton; and thus keep everyone alive and safe, as they so richly deserved to be…

They were all brought back from their thoughts by the judge. "Before I pass sentence, I would like to give the opportunity to those family members and friends of the victims of his crimes, who have not been called as witnesses in this case, to speak in front of this court. I would like to set on record the impact that these murders have had on the lives of those that are left behind. I am sure that there are things that you wish to be heard. Mr Clarington will not be in the dock - he will be removed to the cells once again to await sentencing. If anyone does wish to speak, could they make themselves known to the clerk during the lunch recess. This court will reconvene at 1pm."

With a bang of her gavel, she rose and departed the court, as people in the gallery began to decide if they wished to speak up.


	55. Carole, Mike, Thad & Mercedes

**February 27****th**** 2014 : Carole, Mike, Thad &amp; Mercedes**

In the end, eight people made their way to the clerk and asked to speak. Others considered it, but in the end, they decided to allow other people to speak for them. They all returned from lunch with a sense of expectation, and an ear to listen to each others thoughts.

"Carole Hudson-Hummel."

"I always thought that the worst pain I would ever feel in my life came on the day that I heard that my first husband, Christopher, had died. I was young, with a child barely out of diapers, and suddenly alone. My whole world was crashing down around me, but I had to stay strong, for the sake of Finn. Being a single mother, balancing a full time job with caring for a son - it's hard. We got there in the end - there were moments when I felt like I couldn't cope; when I cursed myself and could have done with a bit of support, but Finn was, everyone said, a credit to me. Even if he did run over a mailman on his first driving lesson. Then along came Kurt - he brought me and Burt together, and suddenly I had a new life. I had a loving husband, a stepson. It could all have gone so badly wrong, but after a few bumps on the road, it worked. We were a family. Finn and Kurt became so close you could forget that they weren't actually brothers. We got just over 2 years…."

"Losing a child - that is the worst grief in the world. Our children are not supposed to die before us. I went to a very bad place after Finn passed. Burt was wonderful; Kurt the most loving stepson I could have had; and with his life in New York keeping him away, his fiancé Blaine spent more and more time with me. Kurt had been very lucky to find someone so caring, so sweet; when he eventually left for New York too, I will admit that I felt so lost. But at the same time, the sheer joy they had in being together, it gave me hope."

"Losing them too - I can't even begin to describe the pain. Even now, it is still burning away in my heart. Finding out it was murder - all of it - Hunter Clarington is pure evil. I'm sorry, but that is how I feel. He has taken away from me, from Burt, from the world, three of the kindest, loveliest souls. Not a day goes by when I don't think about them. I see Vogue on a newsstand, I think of Kurt; when I see a dress as I walk through a store, my first thought is - would Kurt approve? As for my son, I see Finn in my dreams every night. I think about him constantly. Burt knows this, and is a great source of comfort. We share the same sense of pain and loss. We both lost our first spouse; both lost our only child. We get through the bad days together. I'm so glad that I have him; Cooper, Sam and Rory treat me like a mom, and that helps too, so much. In the end though, I just miss my son. His killer deserves to be severely punished for taking him away from us. Depriving me of my chance of grandchildren. I would ask that he is given the harshest sentence possible."

* * *

"Mike Chang"

"Firstly, I would like to say that I am here for myself and my girlfriend Tina. She would have come down here herself, but she was afraid that she would either choke or burst into floods of tears. She has had a lot to cry about in the last year - we all have, but she is quite an emotional person. That is one of the reasons that I love her. First, we lost Finn. Now, if it hadn't been for Finn taking the brave step to join the New Directions, and damage the otherwise cool reputation he had at McKinley as the quarterback, then I wouldn't be here now. I hid my true self at high school because it was easier to be Mike Chang, football player, than Mike Chang, dancer. Maybe it is less of an issue here in New York, but in Ohio, if a guy likes to dance, then he is singled out for abuse. Finn went to the glee club; Puck and I followed him in the end. I couldn't sing that well, but I could dance, so I was in. I knew Tina at that point, but not well. All that altered once I was in the New Directions - and we ended up dating for my last two years at high school. Without Finn, we would never have met - not properly."

"Then there was Kurt; I knew that he was bullied, but I didn't dare to speak up and defend him at first. I guess there was a lot of ignorance. Because once I actually got to know him, I found out that he was pretty cool. He and Tina were also close. He became one of my best friends - the guy that I went to for advice on relationships, and all the little things that made me and Tina work. Without him, I doubt that we would have lasted nearly as long as we have. Like all the other guys in New Directions, I would have gone to any length to protect him. I just wish I could have been there that night…"

"Because of that, we gave Blaine a hard time of it at first. Once we saw how happy he made Kurt, things changed. When he came to McKinley in my senior year, specifically to be with Kurt, it all stopped. Eventually. I have never told anyone this - even Kurt never knew - but Blaine gave me singing lessons, and they worked. He was a good friend to me, and a best friend to Tina in their senior year after I stuffed up big time and dumped her. I had realised my mistake by the time Kurt and Blaine's wedding came along, and told Blaine as much - he had asked me to give him some tips on waltzing - he was going to give Kurt a first dance to remember… He would be happy to see me and Tina back together. I like to think they are all watching us now, and that they approve."

"What Hunter did to us, as a group, is unforgivable. Killing Finn ripped out our hearts, stomped on them, but put them back, bruised but functioning. Killing Kurt broke that apart. Having to see Blaine afterwards - Tina and I visited him days before he died, and the boy that I had been teaching to waltz only ten days before was gone. Without Kurt, the Blaine we all knew and loved couldn't survive. It was almost a relief when he died. Almost… It destroyed our souls as a group, for a while. Tina just kept crying at random things - Katy Perry songs, bowties, Vapour Rub… that last one is a long story. She's getting better, we all are - but it will never be the same. There's a big hole in all our lives. He needs to be punished - we have been, all of us. We have to live with this for the rest of our lives, and so should he."

As Mike finished, tears in his eyes, he looked up, and saw Tina smiling at him.

* * *

"Thad Harwood"

In the gallery, the Warblers turned to each other in surprise. They had all expected to see Wes take the opportunity to say something, but this was unexpected. For the New Directions, it was a rare event - Thad normally sat quietly in the corner, often alone, at social events. Now, he was going to stand up and speak.

"I don't really know why I am here, if I'm being honest. I'm normally the guy that just sits quietly and observes - I'll interject if I feel that something is wrong, but other than that, I keep quiet. Guess it is because I'm shy - I've always been the quiet, studious type. Love my music, want to teach - which believe it or not makes me the black sheep in a family of doctors. But this isn't about me - it's about three young men. I have to admit that I didn't know Finn that well. But I do know that he loved Kurt and by extension Blaine. Their happiness was all that mattered to him. He was a kind, gentle giant of a man. He would have been a good teacher."

"Kurt and Blaine - Klaine as we called them - they were not perfect, but who is? Kurt had the voice of an angel; the heart of a lion; and a bitch stare that could quell Sebastian at twenty paces. I was always glad that he was my friend and not my enemy. He would do pretty much anything for his friends. He would sit and listen to Jeff, complaining about how oblivious Nick was, for hours on end and not feel the urge to throttle him. If something was bothering you, Kurt would listen. He came as a package deal for most of the time I was privileged to know him, with Blaine. I knew on the day that Kurt came to spy on us that Blaine liked him, but would he go for it? No. It took him so long to get there, but once he did… Blaine was just such a good person; he just made some bad decisions along the way, like serenading junior managers at Gap. His best decision ever was to chose Kurt."

"I think that I speak on behalf of pretty much everyone here when I say that the love that they had was a shining example, an inspiration - something we could all hope for and aspire to. That will be their legacy to the world - that love can conquer everything, except death. Even then, Kurt's death lead to Blaine's. He was just so broken without him. He used to say that Kurt was his missing puzzle piece. A puzzle with a piece missing is not worth much. Blaine thought that his life without Kurt…. I don't have what they had, nor do I expect to get it anytime soon. Some of us have to go through life solo. If that is my path, then so be it. I just need to be honest with the world; acknowledge my destiny and deal with what it means. Be as courageous as Kurt and Blaine always were. So this is step one - taking a stand and being counted when it matters. I owe it to them, and myself. Us gay guys have to stick together. Hunter needs to be locked away for as long as possible."

In the gallery, the Warblers just sat and stared in shock. "Did Thad just finally out himself, or am I dreaming," whispered David to Wes.

"You're not dreaming," came his reply. "He just knew that this was the time for him to stand up and be counted - and I'm darn proud of him…"

* * *

"Mercedes Jones"

"I'm not here to sugar coat anything, so I am just going to come right out and say it first - Hunter Clarington should be locked up and the key thrown away. He has shown not once ounce of remorse, of contrition, of humanity. He is a killing machine; a soldier devoid of any emotion or finer feelings. Some may say that it wasn't the way that he has was made - but no, this wasn't just down to his father. This is him, his bad side. His good side has been absent for far too long - I doubt he even has one… I'd like to think that he has one, but after his tirade yesterday - maybe he is just pure evil."

"I miss my three friends. Kurt was my best friend - my boo. Back in sophomore year, I even fell for him. He wasn't out then, but with the benefit of hindsight, it was pretty obvious that he wasn't a straight guy. He was fashionable, he was bitchy, and he was a cheerleader. Though he was also quite a kicker for the McKinley Titans that one time… I still remember the way he prepared for his winning kick with his _Single Ladies _dance. Had the whole darn football team doing it with him. First game they had won in years. Won him the respect, and yeah, the hearts of Finn, Puck and Mike. Problem was that as the only openly gay kid in a small town high school in Ohio, you are gonna be a target for all the haters. What he put up with in those years - he was so brave, so strong. It would often seem that just when he was at his lowest, fate would kick him again. He got his lucky breaks too - he won Finn around and ended up with him as a brother, instead of a bully. Got the three bitchiest cheerleaders, known as the Unholy Trinity, rooting for him. Got the fearsome Sue Sylvester to care about him. Hell, he even got the school badass, Noah Puckerman, on side. And it was thanks to him that Kurt met Blaine."

"How will I remember those three boys? Finn was easily lead, but once he was able to form his own opinions, and opened himself up to seeing the whole person and not just the label, he became one of the strongest people that I have ever known. Defender of the weak, and a true brother to Kurt, defending him at every turn. He made mistakes, but that was because he was human. And he learned from them, and became all the stronger. He is missed so much…"

"Blaine was the only man that ever felt right for my Kurt. He had a one word mantra for Kurt from day one - Courage. He inspired my boo to take on the world and try to change it, one person at a time. He stood up to his worst bullies, and showed them that he wasn't going to meekly take what they dealt out. Blaine had his own personal demons, which he tried his best to keep to himself. He had been through the same cycle of violence and despair as Kurt. He was worse off in that he had parents that didn't care, unlike Kurt, who had the best dad and step mom in the world. Blaine tried so hard to be strong all the time, but sometimes he couldn't. Mistakes were made and his insecurities leaked out. I do know one thing for certain. He loved Kurt, and that was forever. Even in his darkest moments that love remained, and kept him afloat. It saved him from a return to Dalton, and an uncertain fate at the hands of Hunter. I miss them all; I pray for them every day. I know that the three of them are together in heaven, not rotting in hell as some said. I hope that I can be blessed enough to join them there one day. The only person going to hell is Hunter - and until it is his time to go, he needs to be punished and kept away from decent society."


	56. Artie, Rory, Sue & Wes

**February 27****th**** 2014 : Artie, Rory, Sue and Wes**

"Artie Abrams"

"Once upon a time, in a small town in Ohio, there was a diva, who was joined by a goth stutterer, a goddess with the voice of Aretha, the out gay kid and me - the kid in the chair. They wanted to be a glee club, but there weren't enough of them. Then, along came the quarterback. With him on board, the club blossomed, and attracted three cheerleaders, albeit initially with an ulterior motive, and three other football players. The rest is, as they say, history. We went on in the space of two years to be National Champions. We gained some people on the way, lost one too… but the important thing was that we all became friends. We did this in an environment were we met with hostility on a daily basis - a regular diet of ice cold slushie facials and a level of torment which has yet to be surpassed. But we made it to the top of the food chain and became champions. And all of that was only possible because Finn had faith from the first."

"Finn looked out for me in a way that no-one else had. It isn't easy being in this chair in New York - it was even harder in high school in Ohio. I was bullied for it as much as Kurt was bullied for his sexuality. Finn did what he could to stop that happening to me - heck, he even demanded that I be given the chance to join the football team - and he won. Through him, I got good buds in Puck, Mike and Sam. I got through all the tough times and made it. I even got to date a cheerleader - the wonderful Kitty Wilde, who still cares for me so much after I was a bit of an idiot. When Finn died, it broke my heart. He couldn't be gone, he was far too young and had so much to do. Then again, don't they say that only the good die young…?"

"Kurt was sort of my friend even before the New Directions were born. As the odd men out, we bonded and became friendly. I couldn't do as much as the others to protect him from his tormentors - though I did once run over Azimo's toes - he was standing at the bottom of a ramp and I lost control of my chair… But I was there as a shoulder to cry on, if he needed it. He was wiser than he ever knew - then again, he always said the same about me. Before I came to film school in New York, Kurt made a point of going round and checking on the level of accessibility to all his favourite places - he even managed to persuade a few of them to install ramps. Why? - because I was his friend, and he didn't want me to miss out."

"And as for Blaine? Wow, did Kurt get lucky. Blaine was all kinds of hot - I might be straight, but I can still appreciate a good looking man when I meet one. He was also by far the most dapper, kind hearted individual that I ever met. He even tried to give up the role of Tony in the McKinley production of _West Side Story_ in favour of Kurt. He would have crawled through fire and broken glass for Kurt - he loved him so much. Sure he cheated, but he instantly regretted it. I found him crying on more than one occasion. And let's face it, if he hadn't rushed to New York to confess hours after it had happened, would Kurt ever have found out?"

"At first, when Blaine told us that he was going to propose to Kurt, I felt that he was too young - I was totally behind it, but yeah, they were both too young. I'm glad that he ignored all of us doubters, because they got so close to doing the one thing that they had both wanted to do since the moment they met - have the love that they felt for each other officially recognised. So, back to Hunter. Thinking back after what has been said, I do remember feeling uneasy, as if I was being watched, that afternoon I sat with Blaine in the hospital. He wanted to kill me, because I was an easy target. If this was Ohio, then I would request the ultimate sanction - as it isn't, then please, lock him away permanently, for the sake of the world."

* * *

"Rory Flanagan"

"I didn't have the privilege of knowing Kurt, Finn and Blaine for as long as the rest of their closest friends - in fact, I only knew them and spent time with them, for 9 months. That relatively short period of time changed my life for the better, and earned me a group of friends that I value so much. My life back home in Ireland, you see, it wasn't great. I was in my second last year of high school when I saw the poster advertising the exchange programme. It spoke to me - it was my chance to escape the mundane life I was living in small town Ireland and see a bit of the world. I guess that I imagined myself going to senior year high school classes in one of the great cities; so to be chosen for the scheme and end up in Lima, Ohio - well, it was a bit of a let down. My host family, the Pierces, were nice though, and Brittany - well, she was special - no-one in the world could possibly hate her…except Hunter. Through her, I met the rest of the New Directions; I auditioned and the rest is history. I was part of the team that won Nationals. And as I said, it changed my life."

"There was never any doubt in my mind that Finn was the leader. He was the bridge between the various elements of the group. He was making just as many mistakes as the rest of us, but somehow, we all respected him. He was so strong, so understanding. He was in love with Rachel, protective of the rest of us - all of us. He just wanted all of us to have the chance to shine and be happy. He made me feel welcome and safe in a new country, under a totally new system. He stood his ground and wouldn't allow any of us to be hurt. He was just a good guy - one of the very best."

"As for Kurt and Blaine - well from day one, I was aware that they were a package deal; that they had something very special going on. Their love for each other was so obvious. To me, coming from a small town in Ireland, this was a first. Seeing two guys express their attraction to each other openly. It was bad for them in Ohio, and they faced their share of problems, but in my home town, it just couldn't have happened. Ireland has moved on in so many ways, but if you leave Dublin and Cork behind - well it is still full of the old values. To see them together was an inspiration to me. They loved each other, and if people didn't like it, well that was their problem. They had their arguments like any other couple, but in the end, they always made up and were just so strong together. I miss seeing that…"

"They did help me to recognise who I was - that the girls that threw themselves at me meant nothing. And never would. I had to go home after that year, and ended up moving to Dublin. My parents had found me what they called a good job, with prospects. There was no need for me to go to college - it wasn't for the likes of me anyway. As it turns out, the job meant that I was just a slave; the man who made the useless politician look good - and as a non-college graduate, I could be paid buttons. I abandoned all of that to come here when Blaine died. I tried to come over for Finn's funeral, for Kurt's - but I didn't have enough courage then. Suddenly, I knew that I had to be strong and break free. That was the best thing I ever did. I now have a great job as a Congressional aide; a boyfriend, who it turns out wanted to speak to me on first sight in my exchange year in Ohio; and I will also be going to college part-time after the summer. But for all the good things in my life now, it would be far better if my three friends were here to enjoy it with me. Hunter robbed me of my chance to thank them. He deserves a long sentence - the same life sentence he gave all of us."

* * *

"Sue Sylvester"

In the gallery, there was almost a collective intake of breath. Silent prayers were said that she wouldn't be too outspoken. In the press box, Jacob Ben Israel sat in a mixture of awe and horror. This was going to be interesting.

"When I first met Kurt and Finn, I was the award winning coach of the Cheerios; now I am the Principal of McKinley High. I also managed to help the New Directions to a Nationals win, even though that was forced upon me. So I came to know the three deceased well. What can I say about these three young men who formed such an integral part of a singing group that I, to be frank, despised? That they were three of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I didn't always think that, but one by one, they changed my mind. Kurt was the first - my sweet Porcelain - though I still wish he had let me call him Tickle Me Doe Face….but you can't have it all. He helped my Cheerios to victory by singing a Celine Dion song, in French. He was a boy that was tortured by mindless bullies in the corridors of my school - I quit my first stint as Principal in protest at his treatment, and so I could patrol those corridors to protect him."

"He ended up going briefly to Dalton, where he snared Young Burt Reynolds. Now Blaine and I did not see eye to eye on many things - he never forgave me for that banner, but when I said 'Blaine is on the bottom', I was talking about his position in the Cheerios pyramid… There was one thing that we did have in common; our love for Kurt. He wanted to be there to protect him from all the harm that the world could do to him, and so did I. We both wanted him to happy; both wanted the whole world to see how talented he was. As a result, not that he would ever have guessed it, the hobbit started to grow on me. He made Kurt happy, and anyone that did that wasn't all bad in my book."

"Now Finn and I, we often clashed. He seemed so arrogant at times when he was a student, so unobservant of what was going on right under his nose. That changed when he and Kurt took charge of my sister's funeral. I was too distraught and shaken up by the whole thing, so they stepped in. What they created was beautiful. When Finn came back as a teaching assistant to McKinley, I noticed that he had a talent. He was able to inspire kids and help them overcome the odds the world stacked against them; all that the world throws at them. His death was a tragic waste - he would have made a teacher that I would have been proud to have on my staff."

"Kurt's death broke my heart - my Porcelain smashed into smithereens. If that wasn't bad enough, I saw Blaine die…. I was just feet away when he pulled the trigger. He knew exactly where he was going and who he was going to. He had the courage to stick to his plans when many others would have taken the first opportunity possible to run the other way. Blaine you see wasn't a quitter, a weakling. He was strong, determined and stuck to the plans he made. The deaths of these three left the world a darker place. None of them deserved the fate they ended up with. In fact, none of those caught up in this deserved what happened to them. Nick and Jeff, even Sebastian, did not deserve to be scarred. Hunter Clarington is some kind of sociopath. He does not fit into the society that we all want to promote. Like a cancer, he therefore has to be removed from it. Once he has been, he should never get the chance to contaminate it again."

* * *

"Wes Montgomery"

"In case you haven't already guessed, I am the Saint Wes that Hunter spoke of in his testimony. I will admit that I am held in high esteem by the Warblers and by the staff at Dalton Academy, but I am no saint. I entered every competition season with the same desire to win as him. I would push myself and my boys to the limit. The thing was I knew where the limits were and stuck within them. I didn't try and push people beyond their breaking points. What would be the sense in that? My first instinct was always the welfare of the others - they were my choir, but more importantly, they were my friends. And to me, that friendship was the key to the Warblers. A band of brothers, united in song; in tolerance; in understanding. Embodying the ethos of the founders of Dalton Academy - no place for bullying, for power trips, for downright nastiness. Everybody equal, regardless of their creed, race or sexuality. It was a haven for all those boys in Ohio, who for reasons outwith their control, had been subjected to hatred in their other schools. They were joined by a lucky few, such as myself and Nick, who hadn't been taunted or hated. I was the eldest of the group - the leader. And I had a duty to care for each and every one of my fledglings."

"Finn was never a Warbler, but I recognised in him a kindred spirit. Had the New Directions not had Will Schuester to lead them; had they had a democratic council like us, he would have been their male leader. He united the factions, tried to keep the peace. Then in the months immediately prior to his death, he became their leader for real. They suffered a horrific loss at Sectionals, but they did do because they cared more for the health of young Marley Rose than for the show. Had I been in his place, I would have acted in exactly the same way. The Warblers have been adding a few honorary members recently - if Finn was still with us, he'd be high on the list of candidates."

"Now Klaine, they met at Dalton, fell in love at Dalton, and in time, marriage was proposed at Dalton. I can remember Kurt's face on the day he came to spy. His shock when he discovered that the Warblers were seen as cool; that the whole school loved us. And then those eyes that focussed on Blaine and fell, wham, there and then. They would have ended up as one of those sickening married couples that are always happy. We would all have been so jealous of their love. They were two of the most adorable, talented people that I have ever known. Of course, there are other couples that are just as sweet - we also have Nick and Jeff in the Warblers; Brittany and Santana, Mike and Tina, Puck and Quinn from the New Directions. And the most recent of all, Trent and Rory, a fusion of the two groups… I have such high hopes for them all - and I have to admit that I have spotted some other emerging couples…"

"I am now in my third year at law school. I have read case notes, theory and practical texts. This is the most complex trial I have known so far - certainly the first in which I have felt quite so emotionally attached. Should we have worked harder to get this case heard in Ohio? No, I don't think so. Much as I believe that in certain circumstances, the death penalty is an essential part of our legal system, I also firmly believe that it should be the very last resort. It is far more of a punishment to incarcerate Hunter for a very long time - ideally for the remainder of his life. He sentenced Finn, Kurt and yes, Blaine to death. We should be more just and sentence him to life. It will hurt him far more than death ever could."

Wes was the last to give a victim impact statement. The judge thanked them all, and then adjourned the court until 9am the following day, when she would pass down his sentence. As the group in the public gallery left, it was not with an air of jubilation. That was for tomorrow, when sentence had been passed, and Hunter was on his way to whatever secure facility the state felt appropriate for him. Tonight was for reflection, for remembrance. To sit quietly together and recall those moments that had stuck in their minds; the happy times, yes, but also the arguments, the disasters, the heartaches. They also knew that in just a few days, they would once again be scattered to the four winds - back to Ohio, to Washington DC, to Connecticut, to Illinois, to Massachusetts and California. Tomorrow was for a party - and if they had anything to do with it, it was going to be epic.


	57. WOHN News 8 - February 27th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 27****th**** 2014**

_On what would appear to be the penultimate day of the Clarington Trial, we now go live to Jacob Ben Israel in Manhattan. So Jacob, what news from the court today?_

"Rod, you are right in that tomorrow will be the last day of this trial, but effectively, it is all over bar the sentencing. In an unanimous verdict, delivered in 27 minutes, Clarington was found guilty of the murders of Finn Hudson and Kurt Hummel, and the attempted murder of Blaine Anderson. The verdict did not bring the scenes of jubilation you might have expected from their friends in the gallery - the only person in court that was cheering like a lunatic was our own Sue Sylvester, as she collected her winnings from the bet she made on the time taken to deliver the verdict. Sure, there were smiles and fist bumps, but their joy was tempered by the overwhelming sense of loss."

"After lunch, the judge asked for statements from friends and family of the victim who had not already given evidence in the trial. Eight people made oral statements, though I believe that written statements were also made - the latter from such people as Carman Tibideaux, the head of NYADA, the arts school attended by Kurt and Blaine; Isabelle Wright, Kurt's Ohio born, erstwhile boss at Vogue; and from Will Schuester, on behalf of himself and his wife Emma. Among those speaking out today in court were Carole Hudson-Hummel, Finn's mother and stepmother to Kurt; Wes Montgomery, leader of the Warblers at the time when Kurt and Blaine were members; and there was also an at times moving statement from our own Sue Sylvester. As we all know, she can be quite outspoken, but in her statement she was composed and to the point. It was clear that she did care for the three young men that died in this mess; she went as far to show compassion towards the three Warblers who will bear the marks of Hunter's terror on their flesh for the remainder of their lives."

"I would like to add my own thoughts at this time. I may not have been their friend - might have been a thorn in their side at school, but I came to realise too late that they were, all three of them, the kind of people that I should aspire to be. I hope that they are all together, somewhere. If I am lucky, then I hope that when my own life is over, I will get a chance to meet you again, and apologise for all the slights that I made towards you in the past. The court resumes tomorrow at 9am. The moment that sentence has been passed, we will bring it to you here, on WOHN."


	58. February 27th - 28th 2014 : Hunter

**February 27****th**** / 28****th**** 2014 : Hunter **

In his cell, Hunter was pondering the events of the day. He had known that things would go this way all along. That a jury made up of civilians would never understand the importance of the work he had been doing. Would see only the deaths of three people and say, he is a murderer, he deserves to be punished. Stupid, naive fools. Like everyone else these days, they had not seen the whole picture. That they had been the problem, not him. He knew he was right, and he would show them. Yes, he would make them realise that he was innocent. His father had it all worked out anyway….

Everyone had made the assumption that Gordon Clarington had wanted the trial to take place in New York to save Hunter from receiving the death penalty. That was the last thing he had been considering when he had resisted the efforts of Burt Hummel and Cooper Anderson to have the case moved to Ohio. He was not afraid of his son being sentenced to death, because it would never get that far. Not in a state where he had friends in high places. No, he wanted New York as it was a big city; a city of millions of people. A city where someone could hide out - and more importantly, could quickly disappear. He had also assumed that it would be easy to buy a jury here. He had never been given the chance to find out - the friend that had been due to speak to the potential jurors had suffered a stroke before he had a chance.

He had not felt the need to sit in the gallery, next to his wife, as the verdict was announced, in the midst of the friends and family of the victims. To watch as his wife burst into tears - the dumb woman always did; to sit there as all around him people barely managed to conceal their delight that they had got their way. He knew that his son, a good man, would be found guilty of removing from the earth three people who were quite frankly a waste of oxygen. No, it was far easier to stay at the hotel; to give his wife no opportunity to show him up in public. He was disappointed that his son had failed to get rid of the biggest thorn in his side. The reappearance of Jeffrey, his wife's fag child - he was no son of his - had screwed everything up. He knew that she wanted him back in her life. That was never going to happen whilst he had any say on the matter - and in their relationship, she knew better than to disobey him. She had seen the consequences of that more than once before.

They would have to go back to the court for the sentencing the next day - he didn't want his wife there, but he needed to keep up the show. Right now, he had work to do. He had slipped the sleeping draught into his wife's lunchtime orange juice - once she was asleep, he left the hotel, hailed a taxi, and made his way to the court, to meet Mr Masterton. He had been a complete waste of money. He could have made a better job of his son's defence himself. He felt like punching him right now, giving him the punishment he deserved, but no, he had to keep up the show. He accepted the worm's apologies; pretended to listen as he talked about the potential for an appeal. Then Gordon asked for what he really needed. A chance to talk to his son. There was nothing to say that he couldn't have time with him before he was sentenced, and in any case, the guard, like so many public servants, was susceptible to turning a blind eye if the right amount of money appeared. So it was that as the judge heard the bleating statements from the friends and family upstairs, Gordon was lead into a room, to sit with Hunter, alone.

They talked in hushed tones, wary of the fact that the room might be bugged; that an honest court employee might be passing by and eavesdrop. They had already made a Plan B - had discussed it months ago in one of Gordon's visits to Hunter in prison. He had been disturbed to hear that his son was falling apart, was screaming the prison down. It had been bad enough when he had tried to kill one of his accomplices. They would be sorted out, given the time. Gordon Clarington had friends in just as many low places as high. In a few weeks, once the drama of the trial had died down, the first of those idiots that Hunter had surrounded himself with would become a tragic victim of a prison fight. Not Mr O'Hara - no, he would pay at Gordon's own hand when he was released. No, Sean was to be the first… Just now, he had to concentrate on reminding Hunter of the details - of what would happen after he was sentenced tomorrow. The plan was foolproof - even he couldn't foul it up. To be honest, Hunter was turning into as much of a disappointment as Jeffrey. He was still young enough to father another son - maybe Elspeth could meet some tragic accident after the trial. Her and Jeffrey - maybe he could let them meet up, only for something awful to occur..

That night in his hotel suite, his wife asleep in the second bedroom, Gordon made the necessary phone calls to ensure success with Plan B. Nothing should go wrong, as long as everyone played their parts as expected. Once Hunter was sorted, then he could move on to dealing with his wife and the fag - if he could take out his boyfriend too, so much the better. It would be costly, but then everything good was expensive. He had more than enough money to ensure things went the way he wanted, and still fund his campaign for the Senate. Yes, all this was a bump on the road. Gordon Clarington had never lost yet - he wasn't about to start now…

In his cell, Hunter was unable to sleep as he thought about what he had to face tomorrow. 'Give them their moment,' he thought. 'Show no fear, but don't be cocky either. Let them think they've won. It was all going to be short term anyway. Good people like him would be in control soon enough - and then all the liberals would pay. Yes, they would all pay for crossing him - starting tomorrow…'


	59. February 28th 2014 : The sentence

**February 28****th**** 2014 : The sentence leads to drama…**

Friday the 28th of February dawned as cold and bleak in New York as every other day had for the past three weeks. There was still an icy wind, although the snow had finally stopped falling. The biggest problem was ice - the low overnight temperatures meant that any moisture on the surface had frozen hard. The sidewalks and streets were for the most part ok, as long as you checked where you walked. This was easier said than done as people made their way to work - millions of people on the move simultaneously, all desperate to get somewhere, whether they wanted to go there or not. Amongst the hordes that thronged the busy streets at the southern tip of Manhattan that morning were a group of people, mostly from Ohio, making their way one final time to 100 Centre Street, home of the Criminal Court. All united by a common factor - three good young men. They were their family, friends, teachers, and employers. All coming to see justice done. They entered in groups or singly, but all took their seats in the same spots as the day before. At the back sat a man and woman connected to the case in a very different way - Gordon and Elspeth Clarington, parents of the accused.

No-one would have described Gordon Clarington as a kind man. He was good at his job - he served his country well as a high ranking officer in the US Army. He had made his way up the ranks, fighting on the front line for many years; almost ending up in Arlington Cemetery on more than one occasion. His wife secretly wished that he had that last time. It had been just after the birth of their first son; before Hunter was conceived. All of this could have been avoided, all of the suffering and pain. But he had lived and she knew better than to express her opinions openly. He did not like being shown to be wrong. She had seen what he was doing to Hunter - realised early on that he was turning her younger son into a cold-hearted, ruthless machine, incapable of expressing even the most basic of human emotions. She had feared the day when he would turn on her; or on one of his friends. That had happened so many times now. Each one had left her distressed - she had begged her husband to stop, but to no avail - all she gained was another slap. But this time was different - no amount of influence or money could save Gordon Clarington's golden boy this time.

In the front row, Wes had twigged who the couple were, but kept silent. He was sat next to David, both of them with their cellphones out and connected to a Skype call. Wes was on the phone to Oxford, David to Cambridge. It was approaching two in the afternoon in England, and both Drew and Ethan should have been in class. Neither was, sat instead in their respective rooms, laptops open and on the call, awaiting the moment that they would hear the court called to order over the ether, knowing that it meant the judge was about to hand out her sentence. Both wished that they could have been there in person, but costs and timings made it impossible. In the end, it hadn't even been possible to do as they had originally planned, and be together. So instead, they sat alone, thousands of miles from the court:- Drew wearing his Dalton tie and his Warbler pin on his lapel; Ethan clutching a framed photo of the Warblers of 2011, Kurt and Blaine standing right in front of him. His eyes began to tear up as he spotted Nick and Jeff by their side, Trent right next to them. They all looked so happy, so innocent. Now two of them were dead; two physically scarred; the last a reluctant hero of the hour. All due to one man. A man that he had never met, but hoped was about to be sent away for a very long time.

Then, finally, the judge was entering the court - everyone stood in silence as she entered and took her seat. She nodded to the lawyers, her face devoid of emotion as befitted the circumstances. Wes did detect more of a frown on her face as she looked at Mr Masterton - the man in question was deathly pale and looked so unkempt. Gone was the slick lawyer of three weeks ago - gone too was his reputation for never having lost a case. The jury box was empty - the jurors had done their job, and had been dismissed back to their everyday lives. She then glanced up at the public gallery; she had done so every day and had been gratified to see the same faces reappear day in, day out - faces that she had only put names to gradually. The loyalty they had to their late friends was a credit to them. Young Mr Montgomery in particular had been there, in the same spot, every single day - the first to arrive, the last to leave according to her clerk. A law student, she had been informed. 'He will be good,' she thought. 'He will fight for justice, work for his clients, but always to the letter of the law. He will respect me if he ever comes into my court, and that is half the battle these days.' Her musings done, she put on her glasses, and began to deliver the sentence.

"The accused will stand. Hunter Clarington, yesterday you were found guilty by a unanimous verdict of all three charges laid against you. You have shown no remorse or contrition for your actions; only anger that you were thwarted before you could carry out the full horror of your plans. In this court, you have been abusive and derogatory, not just to the victims and the witnesses, but to me and my staff. I see in front of me a young man who purports to be the future of this nation - a strong man, a leader. You are in fact, a coward and a bully, who cannot stand to be defied in anyway by anyone. The only crime that your victims committed was to believe in fair play, truth and justice - that those that act dishonourably should be punished for their misdeeds. Yesterday, someone said something that made me sure that the course I was intending to take was the correct one. You sentenced three young men to death - two because they had called you out; one because they were in love with one of your first two victims. You failed to carry out your sentence on one of your victims. I will not fail to carry out my sentence on you. On each of the three charges you have been convicted of, I sentence you to life, without parole. These sentences are to run consecutively. You will never leave prison, Mr Clarington. You are a danger to society and to humanity. Take him down."

In the gallery, there was an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. He was gone and he would never interfere in their lives again. Wes and David both heard small shouts of yes from their respective phones - the former blushing slightly as he knew that the judge had been referring to him in her speech. Sue Sylvester, in the press box, was relaying the news to Jacob, who was at that very moment standing outside the court and breaking the news live on WOHN…

"Just this minute the judge has handed down her sentence on Hunter Clarington. He has been given the most severe sanction that she can possibly hand down - life without parole - in each of the three charges. Sentences are to run consecutively, which means that Clarington will never leave jail. His life as a free man is ended, just as he ended the lives of Finn Hudson, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson. Our justice system has prevailed, and delivered the correct verdict today."

As Hunter was taken away, Santana noticed that the guard that was escorting him and Mr Masterton was not the same one that had done so for the last three weeks - somehow, that struck her as odd. Possibly they had a cold, or had booked a day off. Still, for some reason, her Mexican third eye told her it wasn't right. As he was taken out by one door, his parents exited the gallery by another; his mother being dragged along behind his father, who was muttering darkly about appeals, unfit judges and getting this travesty overturned. Elspeth Clarington kept silent, but as she was pulled through the door, she broke loose, turned back to the room, fixed her eyes on one person and said "I'm so sorry - forgive me…" Then she was gone, pulled away, leaving the gallery to turn to the one person and stare at him. Jeff didn't quite know how to react. They had all only just realised who the couple were. He didn't know the woman; had no memories of her, but she was his mother. Why had she asked for his forgiveness? It didn't make sense, but then again, not a lot did anymore. He would probably never see her again anyway. He let Nick wrap an arm around him and leant against his fiancé. It was all over now - all the pain and the heartache. Now they could begin to rebuild their lives. Pretty much everyone in the room was in agreement on that….

A loud bang startled them all from their reverie. The judge, who was still in her seat, looked up in shock. A second bang followed. Puck spun round to look at Wes and Burt. "Those were gunshots," was all he had to say, before an alarm started ringing. The doors to the courtroom were being closed and locked - another guard appeared and began to talk to the judge and the clerk in hushed tones, a look of anger on his face. Mr Rosen was summoned over, his face paling as he listened. Then he made his way up to the gallery, and spoke to Burt in particular, but in a loud enough voice that those nearest could also hear.

"We have a situation. The regular guard has been found, unconscious, in a storage closet. No-one knows exactly who it was that came in to escort Hunter and Masterton to the cells, but as it so happens, that is no longer relevant. I'm afraid to tell you that Mr Clarington has escaped - the fake guard was obviously on his side. After he released Hunter from his cuffs, he was shot dead for his pains. The gun was turned on Masterton, to similar effect. The building has been put on immediate lockdown - he cannot get out. But at this point in time, he is armed, he is dangerous and he is on the loose."

On hearing this, there was silence - nobody uttered a word. Then they began to take action. Sam and Trent found themselves pushed into a corner and surrounded by their friends. As one, they had realised that these two were Hunter's most likely targets if he was stupid enough to head back to the courtroom. The Warblers had also pushed Jeff close to them, a look of near panic on Nick's face. His brother was another obvious target, and if it came to it, Nick would stand in his way. Everyone else made similar attempts to protect the people that they loved. It was unlikely that he would be silly enough to come back, but they weren't dealing with the most rational of human beings. As they awaited whatever might occur, Beats suddenly said, "Where is that draught coming from?" They all looked up and those that could saw Finn, flying above them, a look of concern on his face.

"He can't get out. All the doors are locked and guarded. The NYPD is descending on the court in droves," said Finn. Burt gave him the tiniest of nods, to indicate that he had heard. "Kurt and Blaine are with him, and they are making sure that he can see them, just like he could see them in his prison cell, with their injuries clearly visible. They were trying to drive him down to the street, but he is heading up. The thing is, he is now trapped in the stairwell. All the exit doors have closed over and cannot be opened from the inside without the correct code."

Suddenly, there was another bang, more distant, and Finn vanished from sight again.

"Please tell me that he has done the decent thing and shot himself," said Quinn, voicing a feeling that was shared by the bulk of the gallery. They all felt a draught again and this time Kurt appeared, looking flushed.

"He is losing it completely now - he just tried to shoot me. The bullet of course passed right through me, so no harm done - apart from making him more hysterical; and Blaine and Finn even madder at him. He's nearly up on the roof now…"

"Kurt," said Blaine breathlessly, appearing out of nowhere, "he is on the roof. It doesn't look safe. We need you now!"

With that the two angels vanished again, leaving those that had heard everything in the gallery stunned; and Flint, Beats and Grace totally confused.


	60. February 28th 2014 : Hunter slips up…

**February 28****th**** 2014 : Hunter slips up****…**

It had all seemed so easy when Hunter had planned this with his father on his last visit. Deal with the guard and any witnesses, especially his useless lawyer, Masterton. Use the gun and the guards security pass to expedite your escape alone. He had a safe place to head to - a small office his father had managed to rent under a false name in a big building only three blocks away. There awaited a bag containing new clothes, a wig, and a set of contact lenses to alter his eye colour. He would be able to walk away to a new life. His father had ensured that he had fake documents available for just this possibility - it helped to have friends in the Secret Service. He would leave New York via the Staten Island ferry and then a bus to New Jersey. Make his way north from there towards Boston - from there westwards again to Chicago. A slow progress, so that the worst of the heat would die down. A flight from Chicago to a destination in South America. If on his way, a prep school in Ohio burnt to the ground in a mysterious fire, all the better.

He had forgotten to take his ghosts into account. Those three horrific spectres that had lurked in the shadows of his prison cell every night until his transfer for the trial. He thought that he had left them behind, but now as he tried to make good his escape, his hands now marked with the blood of his lawyer, Masterton - a useless, waste of space, showman - and that fool that had taken the money to pretend to be a court guard, he saw them again, blocking his descent to the street, forcing him sideways into the emergency exit stairwell. Stopping him from heading down and forcing him up. He tried shooting at them, but to no avail. How had he ever thought that it would be? Now he was on the roof, and a potential exit was visible to him, and accessible. Another door, ajar, leading to another set of stairs that no ghost would ever stop him from descending. He made his way along a narrow ledge, high above the street, towards it, getting ever closer…

The ledge had been wet.

The day had not warmed up.

It was covered in an invisible layer of black ice.

Black ice that Hunter stepped on too heavily, and lost his footing on.

Ice which similarly gave him no chance of gaining any purchase with his hands.

Kurt arrived on the roof with Blaine just in time to witness the horrific moment that Hunter slipped on the ice. He looked at Blaine and Finn and could see the looks of despair and resignation on their faces. They had all been expecting this, after all…

The name Hunter Clarington had not appeared on Elizabeth Hummel's lists, but that was because only the names of those selected to enter the angelic realm were given to her. It had been on the 3rd of January that she had called the three boys to her office and had given them the news - that his name had appeared on the dark list. The names of those that were to descend to the realms of fire and despair went onto that list. The names of those that were being so condemned were only passed to the staff of the angelic realm if it was felt that their victims should be informed. Elizabeth had taken the decision that the three should be told about it. The rules were the same as for any other name given to them - it could not be divulged to anyone in the earthly realm. All through the trial, as they had watched their friends and family give evidence, they had known that Hunter would die on the last day of the month. Part of them was glad, and saw it as justice being done. But it was not something that any of them wished to see occur. As Hunter's feet went out from under him, as he disappeared over the parapet, desperately clutching at the stonework, searching in vain for some kind of handhold, his face bore a look of terror that made both Kurt and Blaine turn to bury their faces in Finn's chest, unaware that Finn's own eyes were already screwed tightly shut.

Hunter had never believed in the whole business surrounding death. All the stories of heaven and hell related to him as a child had had no impact whatsoever upon him. His own death he had always imagined in one of two ways. At a ripe old age, surrounded by soldierly grandsons, all of them raised on his tales of the battles he had fought and won during his time - or in a blaze of glory on the battlefield, dying from his injuries only after hours of fighting on and ignoring his wounds. That was a hero's death.

He had never imagined himself slipping on a patch of black ice, and tumbling over the edge of a tall building in New York.

'Nope, this isn't how I pictured it at all,' he thought as he tried to grab for a hold, then realised too late that the whole surface of the ledge was coated in a layer of ice.

He had also never believed in that tale that as you approach the moment of death, the time seems to slow and you see the whole of your life flash before your eyes. Turns out that one was also true. As he plummeted towards the sidewalk of Centre Street, so many floors below, he saw his fall as slow and graceful. It all played before him like a movie, shot in glorious technicolor. And he saw his brother, aged only five, playing with him happily in the garden. He saw his mother, in the days when she had still smiled and enjoyed life. He heard again the arguments; heard the screams as his mother was punished by his father again, for something, anything. He realised now that his father had robbed him of his childhood; had robbed him, Jeff and his mother of the chance of being a happy family.

'Too late now,' was his final thought.

He could hear screams now getting closer and closer. The gun in his hand fell loose and dropped on its own.

He hit the ground with force, cracking the concrete surface.

The same surface that shattered his skull, and snuffed out the short life of Hunter Clarington.

From their vantage point on the roof, several hundred feet above, three angels looked down in horror. They had heard the screams start and the thud as he hit the ground. It was a sickening noise, and regardless of what he had done to them, nobody deserved to die like that, even someone who was now responsible for 5 deaths in all. It was Finn that initially opened his eyes and hovered over the edge. He was eventually joined by Kurt and Blaine, clinging onto each other for comfort. After a moment to digest what they saw, they turned away.

"Someone has to go and tell them. That he has gone," said Finn, quietly.

"We should all go and do it," said Blaine. "They will start to ask questions…"

"Agreed," replied Kurt, "but then we need to go down there - and confront him…"

In the courtroom, fear and chaos still reigned. The sudden appearance of Blaine and his words had stirred them all up. The alarm bell was still ringing - even the knowledge that he was nowhere close did not have a calming effect. Sue had gone into overdrive at Blaine's words, talking nineteen to the dozen to Jacob as he stood outside, telling him to get a camera pointing at the roof. When she suddenly stopped talking and her mouth fell open, only two people noticed - Santana and the ever observant Wes. They glanced over at each other at that moment, and put two and two together. Their minds were still processing the information when they heard Flint complaining about the darn draughts in the room, and felt it themselves. They knew what they had come to say.

"He fell," said Blaine softly. "He fell."

Around the gallery eyes went wide as they realised what that meant, given the height of the building.

Just in time, Sue stood up and said, "My colleague is outside - he says that someone just fell from the roof - and he is pretty sure that it was Clarington…."

Thus Beats, Flint and Grace did not notice that the wide eyes, the looks of horror on the faces of their friends in the room had actually appeared before Sue spoke. Hunter had ruined their lives, had killed three people they were close to, but to fall from the roof of the court…

Outside, every second of the drama had been captured on film by Jacob Ben Israel. His live link severed, he had been stood waiting patiently for the family of the victims to emerge, when his cellphone had buzzed. He sighed as he saw the name Sue on the screen, but he answered it all the same. As he listened, his eyes bugged, and then he discretely turned his head to look up at the roof. He could see a figure near the edge, just as Sue had somehow known. His journalistic skills kicked in and he turned his lens up to the roof, to focus on the lone figure, walking precariously along the edge.

He was thus able to capture the exact moment that he slipped, and began to fall. he kept filming as he fell, picking up speed. He heard the screams around him as others noticed and rushed to escape from his path. Not Jacob, who just kept on filming…almost to the moment that he hit the ground with a thud. He turned his camera away for those final moments. He felt sick even thinking about it. But he had it captured on camera. The moment that Hunter Clarington, mass murderer, fell to his death. It might never be broadcast on WOHN, but he had it. He called Sue back, and told her. He then hung up and called the newsroom. Demanding an interruption to programming, another live link up. To reveal to the public that Hunter Clarington, the most reviled man in Ohio, had been given the death penalty after all.


	61. Confrontation and Desperate Acts

**February 28****th**** 2014 : Confrontation and Desperate Acts**

Finn, Kurt and Blaine had not stayed in the courtroom long after they had imparted the news in the simplest terms possible. They had somewhere else they needed to be, and had vanished before anyone had time to really question them. They passed by Mr and Mrs Clarington in the corridor - she was in tears, he was frowning at her, then lifting his head to glower at the guard who had been forced to tell them that Hunter was dead. They did not need to see the scene in another passageway, where the bodies of two men lay, side by side. No, they had to go to the sidewalk, where the crumpled body of Hunter still lay where it had landed. Next to it stood the man himself - or rather, his soul. Confused and alone, still not fully aware of exactly what had taken place. "Hunter," said Blaine, in a tone which conveyed the anger that he felt.

The boy spun round to take them in. "I thought you would turn up. So they did let the three of you back together in the afterlife. Still, it confirms what I said - fags and fag lovers end up in hell with murderers."

"Actually, no," said Kurt. "You are still on earth, Hunter. Still in New York, standing beside your body. I guess that it looks a bit like that night in September, only this time, the body in the pool of blood is yours…"

"And for your information," snapped Finn, "we are something a lot better than souls." With that he unfurled his wings, Kurt and Blaine following suit. Hunter could only stare at what he saw in front of him.

"That's right, Hunter," smiled Blaine. "We are angels. Our afterlife is glorious and happy. Kurt has been reunited with his mom - and I got to meet my mother-in-law; oh, and before you correct me, Kurt and I got married on the 30th of November last year. He is my husband. Kurt Hummel-Warbler."

The use of that surname startled Hunter. "Ah," smirked Kurt, "I knew that his use of that surname would have an effect on you. Because you are thinking - how does Cooper know? We weren't expecting him to change his surname too, but it was nice of him. After all, he was at our wedding - they all were. Long story, but they all witnessed it, can see us. If you remember, that was the one night that we didn't come and haunt you…"

"So, I guess you are wondering, what is going to happen to you?" said Finn, in an offhand manner. "Don't worry, you will be getting collected very shortly, now that we are done with you. But, it won't be pleasant for you. All those tales of fire and brimstone, they are true. You will be going to hell, Hunter."

"I don't suppose that you ever read any _Harry Potter_ as a child? Too busy reading all about guns and war… So you will have no idea what a dementor is. How to sum it up for a muggle like you…?"

"You won't have seen the film _Ghost_ either," said Kurt, interrupting Blaine. "That is a good illustration too. Basically, you are about to be dragged to hell by wraiths. Whereas our journey to heaven was nice, yours will be the exact opposite. You'll scream yourself hoarse, probably…"

"Oh, almost forgot, one final thing," said Blaine. "You were meant to kill me with Kurt that night. You only failed to do so, because another angel took their eye off the ball, and as a result, a cop got a lapful of hot coffee - and he set off the siren, which made you run. Hunter Clarington, future leader of the world, thwarted by a skinny latte. It's quite funny really…"

Then Blaine's face fell as he noticed a number of sinister black figures approaching. He moved into Kurt's arms, and they turned their backs on Hunter. They heard his screams of agony, his pleas for mercy, but then it was all over - and all that was left was an empty shell of a body, lying on the sidewalk.

* * *

In the courtroom, the noise and hubbub had now died down completely. They were all waiting in silence for the official confirmation of what they already knew. The judge had reprimanded Sue for her statement, and had sent a request to the court doors that Jacob be asked to hand over the footage immediately. Sue was sure that he would already have sent it on to the station in Ohio, so she acquiesced and said nothing. The fact that Hunter was gone for good was only just beginning to hit home.

"Trust him to get an easy way out," said Kitty in a half whisper, loud enough to carry to everyone else in the silence. Nobody called her out on it. There was a feeling that he had evaded justice in dying in such an accident. He should have been facing a lifetime of pain and suffering in a lonely confines of his prison cell - instead, he had died swiftly, the only horror suffered having been the plummet from the roof to the street below - all over in seconds.

"He might as well have been tried in Ohio after all," said Wes to Burt. "It ended up the same - he died. I'm just concerned about the reaction of his parents. His mother, I think that she will be upset, but relieved. His father - he is the rock from which Hunter was hewn…" Burt nodded in agreement. He wished that he knew exactly where Gordon Clarington was right now. He had a hunch that he had a hand in his son's attempt at escape…

Wes and Burt were both right to be concerned. As his wife continued to cry as they sat on a bench halfway between the court and the exit, he was fuming with a barely concealed rage. His son - his good, decent, proper son was dead. He had indeed made the suggestion that Hunter should make an escape attempt; had dealt with the real guard himself - so easy to creep up behind him and hit him on the head with the butt of the gun he had brought into the court with him. It was one of the many privileges that a man of his rank in the forces had. A young protégé of his had been prepared to act as the fake guard in return for a cash payment. He had not been given a cent - and Hunter had been instructed to deal with him and his useless lawyer. It was a pity that he had not thought to bring him a silencer. Too much attention had been attracted by those shots. What puzzled him was why Hunter had kept going up. Why had he not gone down in the first place? Worse still, why had he not just given up when it was clear the plan had gone wrong in the first place?

His only son, his legacy, was dead. No, not his only son - there was still the fag. Jeffrey. At the time, just getting rid of him had seemed like the best course of action. As he had predicted at the time, the boy was a homo; seeing him there with his floppy haired boyfriend - no fiancé - had made him sick. He should have ensured that he was adopted much further away from home - him being at Dalton had been a massive, unseen complication. Still - he had to have a son. And there were numerous treatments that could be dealt out to a fag these days to set them on the correct course. To make them normal. He had the money, the contacts. He could turn Jeff Sterling back into Jeffrey Clarington. He just needed the chance to grab the boy - if the floppy haired one got in the way, then he could deal with him….

"No, leave them alone."

He hadn't realised that he had been talking out loud and his wife had heard. She was a liability now - but he would deal with her and her intervention in the usual manner…

* * *

"What is it with this place and draughts?" said Beats, alerting everyone else in the gallery to the fact that the three angels had returned to the room.

"Seriously," Thad whispered to David, "we need to find some way of getting those two to be able to see them. Amusing though their constant complaints about the draughts are, I feel guilty that they don't know." There was silence otherwise as the bulk of those in the gallery waited for one of them to speak.

"He's gone. His soul has been dragged down to hell. We saw them come for him, and heard his screams…." Finn shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

"It was horrible to listen to," said Blaine, and everyone noticed that his eyes and Kurt's were moist. "And his scream…"

"So that's it? He's gone, forever, and will never bother any of us, on earth or after, ever again?" said Trent quietly, his eyes filled with hope.

"Yeah, that's it. Never to be seen again," said Kurt. "And Thad, we agree and are working on it. Though it is quite amusing doing this…" he continued as he and Blaine made their way over to stand next to Beats and Flint, and proceeded to flap their wings rapidly on either side of them, leaving the two young men staring in shock, and everyone else trying their hardest not to laugh.

Then the doors were opened and they were given permission to leave. They all made their way out slowly, heading towards the street, albeit via a different route than normal. Burt stopped at the barrier, along with Carole and Wes, to talk to Mr Rosen, and thank him. Virtually everyone else made their way into the corridor and switched their cellphones back on, resulting in a cacophony of ringtones as numerous missed calls and messages came up. Will was straight on the phone to a concerned Emma, who had heard the news on TV and had a mild panic attack, thinking that she might be left to raise three children alone. On top of that, she had found herself fielding calls from the Wildes, the Lynns, from Mrs Rose, all desperate to know if she had any news from the court. It took all of her professionalism not to lose her cool and snap at them. She could understand their concerns, but she had more than enough of her own to deal with. Thankfully, her three sons had slept through all the drama that was taking place around them. Will did not need to pass on her request to the kids to call their parents - they were all already doing so.

The only person not on his phone was Jeff. He didn't know quite how to feel. There was a part of him that was so glad that the whole nightmare was finally over. He had let everyone know his darkest secret and nobody had been overly concerned by it. He still had his friends, who didn't care that Hunter was - no, had been, his brother. Wes had been his usual self; he was still blondie to David, Thad, Flint and Beats; still my best friend to Trent; God, even Sebastian had hugged him and told him he cared. There had been no recriminations from the New Directions either. And Nick - he was still his fiancé. He should never have doubted any of it, but a part of him had feared the worst. He looked over at Nick now, standing by Trent, on the phone to Jeff's parents - he hadn't felt able to talk to them himself. Looking up at him now, and giving him a thumbs up and a smile. Wes emerging from the court now, to stand behind Nick, as some of the others started to drift away. He himself had walked a little way from the door…

It was only when a firm hand clamped itself over his mouth, and another arm wrapped around his chest, and started to drag him backwards, that Jeff realised that given the fraught circumstances, he shouldn't have wandered off and stood there on his own…


	62. Dealing with the Claringtons

**February 28****th**** 2014 : Dealing with the Claringtons**

_It was only when a firm hand clamped itself over his mouth, and another arm wrapped around his chest, and started to drag him backwards, that Jeff realised that given the fraught circumstances, he shouldn't have wandered off and stood there on his own…_

In that moment, a variety of images flashed through Jeff's mind. He knew instinctively who it was that was now trying to steal him away. His father by birth, Gordon Clarington. He was the only possibility open to him to have a son to follow in his footsteps now. Hunter was dead, and he was all about his legacy. Jeff was now the only option left - he saw in his mind his own future, in bleak tones. He would be shipped off somewhere to have the fag beaten out of him - or subjected to a cocktail of drugs or other treatments to make him into an acceptable, heterosexual son. His mind would be filled with war; his fingers no longer for drawing, but for firing guns; throwing grenades; clutching a knife. All the beauty of the world, all his finer feelings would be washed from his mind. He would be left as a shell, a machine in his father's image. His head shaved in a buzz cut. Worst of all, Nick would no longer be a factor in his life. No more Warblers, no more friends unsanctioned by his father. It would be unbearable for him, and for them… Nick and Wes would put the blame for this on themselves. His poor Nicky would be destroyed…

So he had to fight back. Prevent this from happening by any means. But how? He was weak compared to Gordon Clarington. He couldn't hope to pull free….and then his only option hit him. The idea of doing it repulsed him, but it was his only choice - use his teeth as a weapon. So Jeff opened his mouth beneath the gagging hand, and as he had anticipated, his father's reaction was to place his hand all the more firmly over it to stop him making a sound. Jeff clamped his mouth shut over the fleshy surface of his father's palm, and bit hard. He bit until he began to taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. His actions had the desired affect. Caught by surprise, and in pain, Gordon pulled his hand free of Jeff's mouth, swearing like the trooper he was. And Jeff seized his chance…

"NICK! NICKY! HELP ME! NICK! WES! HELP!"

Nick had just finished reassuring the Sterlings that they were ok and would soon be leaving the court for home. The death of Hunter had shaken him up more than he liked to admit. He had been such a major factor in his life - he was scarred as a result of his actions. He still had days when the pain was severe, but they were less often now. Now he had died, and although that was a relief, he felt cheated. He had wanted Hunter to suffer in the same way that he, Jeff and the others had. He had escaped too easily with death. He was also worried about Jeff - he had seemed relieved that it was all over, but he knew him. Knew that in spite of their long separation, he would potentially be grieving over the death of his sibling. Because the fact was, he was still his brother, and Lord knows, he knew when Grace was hurting.

As he hung up, he looked around for Jeff, and saw to his horror that he was missing. He spun round, ready to shout at Wes, call out for Jeff, when he heard his own name being screamed in a desperate call for help. He broke into a run, heading for the source of the noise - his Jeff. His soulmate was in trouble and he needed to get to him. He ran round a corner in the corridor, hearing other feet running behind him, and saw Jeff, blood staining his mouth and chin, being dragged away by Gordon Clarington. Nick ran faster than he had ever before. Jeff was still screaming his name - Nick realised that he too was yelling "JEFF! STOP HIM! JEFF!"

And then he had his arms around Jeff, trying desperately to pull him out of his father's grasp. He heard Wes, Trent and Sebastian yelling too. He looked up, straight at the fist that was flying into his face. As it made contact, he heard Jeff scream - and then he was falling, the world turning black around him as he did.

When Jeff's shouts had come, there had been no hesitation in Wes' mind that he had to follow Nick out of the crowd. He realised that he was not alone - half of the Warblers were following him. "Someone get a guard," he yelled, and saw Thad turn and sprint back to the courtroom. As he turned the corner, he saw that his fears about Gordon Clarington had been confirmed in the worst possible way. He was trying to take Jeff back, but the boy in question was having none of it. He wasn't nearly strong enough to prevent the older man dragging him away, but he wasn't going without a fight. Wes saw the blood on Jeff's face and thought at first that the father had punched the boy in an attempt to subdue him. Then, as Gordon's fist flew towards Nick as he tried to wrench Jeff free, he saw the blood on his hand and realised that Jeff had bitten him - that was the only explanation for it. He had taken him away without them noticing as he had placed his hand over his son's mouth as a gag - the only possible defence was to bite him. Whilst he admired his friends ingenuity, he was more concerned now for Nick, felled by one blow and collapsing to the floor. Wes turned to Trent, who dived down to Nick; then with a nod to Sebastian, Wes went into full attack mode. No-one hurt his fledglings - not any more. His only care now was to free Starling, and care for Dove.

Even with his two friends now leaping to the attack, Jeff realised that they were still losing. He was still being pulled backwards, further and further away from his poor Nick, who was now being cradled by Trent and Quinn. Then Puck was there beside Wes, as his father landed a punch on Sebastian that knocked him off balance. That was when he finally felt it. The gun. In a holster underneath his father's jacket. He knew he had to keep his hand away from it at all costs. He didn't want any more of his friends hurt. Nick was still down; Sebastian was back in the fray, but his lip was bleeding. Wes had staggered back for a moment as a punch had caught him in the right eye, but he was acting like an unstoppable warrior. It was only a matter of time before his father went for the gun. He should stop this - tell them to give up, let him be taken. Enough was enough. But before he could speak, he saw a fist fly in from the right as his father battled Puck on his left. A fist that caught his father in just the right spot to send him down, his arm around Jeff loosening enough that he could be pulled free, straight into the arms of Wes.

Then they all heard four words - "Hell to the no!"

It would become one of those moments of legend - the moment that Mercedes Jones felled Gordon Clarington, ex-marine, with a single punch. How the normally placid and God fearing woman had known exactly the right spot to aim for, nobody knew. Maybe a year of living in L.A. had educated her in the art of self defence. Suffice to say, she succeeded were several men had failed. He was down, and Jeff was free - at first into the arms of Wes, then dashing back to a now recovered Nick, to wrap his arms around him before they collapsed to the floor together in a flood of tears. Mercedes had not been about to stand back and watch them be separated. So she had done what was needed. In the process she had gained a set of new admirers in the Warblers. She was a more than perfect match for David.

As the court guards finally arrived on the scene, closely followed by Burt and Cooper, not to mention a panting Thad, Wes surveyed the scene. Nick and Jeff curled into each other and sobbing, in the middle of the floor; Sebastian with blood still dripping from his cut lip and a gash on his left hand, holding onto Trent. Puck, his uniform dishevelled, was holding Gordon Clarington's hands behind his back - as he passed him over to the guards, his jacket shifted and revealed to Wes his gun holster. At that moment, Wes realised just how lucky they had all been.

"Oh my God, Wes, your eye!" said a voice to his side.

He turned to smile at Thad, who was starting to cry. "Now, now, my little Thad, don't cry. It is nothing really. It is going to go black, but that will just make people think that I am a tough guy for once…" As Thad continued to cry, Wes put an arm around him and whispered "Thad, I really am fine. People will start to think that you are in love with me if you don't stop it. And that is our little secret, so, dry your tears." Thad looked up at him, and gave a small hint of a smile. Wes pulled him into a deep hug, and stood like that for a while. Puck noticed, but said nothing. After all, he had always thought that Dalton was a gay school…

The sound of running feet echoed through the corridor, this time revealing Santana. "You're too late, Lopez," joked Puck. "Mercedes had to step up and take your place."

"Shut up. Something else has happened and I think that he had something to do with it," she said, pointing at Gordon Clarington. She then turned to Jeff, still sat on the floor with Nick. "Kitty found her, slumped in an alcove. It's his wife - your mother. She's in a bad way. He must have decided to attack her - maybe she didn't approve of what he was about to do, and tried to stop him. We've dialled 911 and Marley has gone for Carole…"

Nick looked at Jeff, who seemed to be trying to process what he had just heard. "He's beaten her up….she apologised to me as she left the court. Now she's got hurt trying to stop him. Santana, take me to her. I need to see her. She's my mother…."

Accompanied by Nick, Jeff hurried along the corridor behind Santana, to where Carole was now kneeling alongside Kitty and Marley. The small woman was slumped down to the floor, her face a mess of blood and bruises. Her arm didn't seem to be sitting right.

Seeing Jeff's glance, Carole said, "I think that her left arm is broken. She looks as if she has been punched, thrown against the wall, and then kicked when she was down. If this was her husband's doing, then she needs to press charges now." Jeff knelt down next to Carole, his eyes beginning to fill with tears again, and gingerly took his mother's right hand.

"Jeff," said Marley. "Her handbag was open and the contents strewn across the floor when we got here. We tidied it up and we found this…" She held up a photo, small and battered, of a 6 year old boy, with floppy blond hair and a smile that Nick, looking at it over Jeff's shoulder, recognised right away.

"She has a photo of me in her bag. She never forgot me - so why was I given away. Did she not have a choice in the matter? She needs to be ok, because I have so many questions I need to ask," said Jeff.

At that moment, Elspeth Clarington began to regain consciousness. She could remember telling her husband that he had to leave Jeff alone - he was no longer his son. He had thrown him aside as he was imperfect some time ago. He was a Sterling, not a Clarington. Also, she wasn't about to allow him to destroy Jeff's happiness in the way that he had ruined Hunter's life. His response had been swift, and with his fists. She fell down under the rain of blows. The last thing she recalled was a vicious kick to her arm, and a snapping noise. Now, as she slowly opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a red eyed, blond haired young man. "Jeff?" she said in a voice that was little more than a whisper.

"Yes mother, it's me. Did he do this to you?" She didn't speak, just slowly nodded her head. Jeff felt his heart ache as he looked at her. He felt so much sympathy for her, a woman that he had never really met. 'Why? Because she is my mother,' he thought. Then he realised that she was trying to speak again.

"It isn't the first time he's done this. Any time I have tried to argue against him… But this is the worst since you were six years old. I always knew you were different; he didn't notice until…he wanted to send you to a doctor who promised him he could make you straight. I wouldn't let him. We fought. We were upstairs - he pushed me down them. Once I was down he kept hitting me…. I was in the hospital for three months due to the severity of my injuries. Everyone knew that he had done it to me, but even then he had influence. He visited me twice in that time. When I finally got home, you were gone. He had taken you to an adoption service. After that, I gave up. I didn't look for you, because he might have tried to hurt you again. I never imagined that Hunter would find you instead. I am so sorry that I couldn't stop this… I never stopped loving you Jeff - and I never will." She tried to smile, but couldn't, due to the pain she was in from her face.

Jeff was going through the whole gamut of emotions. It had been quite a day. His brother had died, falling from the roof to the sidewalk, the same day he had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of three of Jeff's friends. There had been talk of pressing charges against him for the abuse he and the other Warblers had suffered at his hands, but that was over now. His father had then tried to kidnap him, to force him to become a clone of Hunter. He had to fight him - had seen his fiancé felled, his friends hurt yet again. Now he had found out that his mother had not wanted him put up for adoption - that she had never stopped thinking of him, but had chosen not to look for him to protect him from his father. He had never felt such love towards a person as he did now, except to Nick and his parents, obviously. She would never be his mom, but she was his mother. He wanted to get to know her; to see what she was like. It was a big decision, but it was his to take. "You don't have to apologise. I know why you did it. But it isn't too late, for us…. It will take time, but I'd like to get to know you. And vice versa. So, let's begin with this." He turned to Nick and pulled him towards him. "Mother, this is Nick, my fiancé. Nick, this is Elspeth, my mother…"


	63. Coping with the aftermath Part I

**February 28****th**** 2014 : Coping with the aftermath Part One**

Back outside the courtroom, Wes was having his black eye attended to by a first aider. The cut to Sebastian's lip had also been cleaned. The police had escorted Gordon Clarington from the building, past the waiting press pack, muttering thinly veiled threats as he went - it had been the usual chorus of "Don't you know who I am?" along with the promise to use his power to finish the lot of them. This had just been all the more incentive to the police to arrest him. The time had now come for them to finally leave a place which had been almost another home to some of them for the last three weeks. Wes had not missed a single moment in his seat in the gallery. Jacob Ben Israel had also been on the premises for the entire time too. He had indeed handed over his footage to the judge, who had watched it in silent horror; but as Sue had surmised, he had already sent a copy to Ohio via the internet. In the newsroom at WOHN, Rod Remington and Andrea Carmichael had sat and watched the film in silence, before both agreeing with the senior editor that they could not actually show it, at least in an unedited format.

It did not feel like the end of the story though, at least not for the friends and family of Finn, Kurt and Blaine. It was like the beginning of a new chapter in an otherwise unhappy tale. The wicked prince was dead. Good had triumphed over evil, but not before three of the finest people had paid the ultimate price. They had not left their lives, they just weren't around in the same way. As a positive, they could now be summoned at a moment's notice; they could protect them from all foes, apart from death itself. They had missed the drama of Gordon's kidnapping attempt - they had been summoned back to Elizabeth, to report on the demise of Hunter to her and her boss. There would have been little that they could have done anyway, apart from alerting Nick to the danger earlier - the rules prevented them from talking to Jeff directly. All information had to go through an intermediary, in this case, Nick. Jeff had not been taken - a combination of his own strength and cunning, and the assistance of his friends had stopped it. They had all lost so much with the three deaths, but it had given them a new unity of purpose - that wasn't at all bad.

They made their way out as a group, albeit through a different door to normal - it was entirely necessary as a police cordon still blocked the usual exit, where a broken body lay. Nick and Jeff were not with them - when the ambulance had arrived to take Elspeth to the hospital, Jeff had insisted on accompanying her, as she was his mother. Nick had also been found space. Everyone else was there, still in shell shock over what they had heard. It seemed so unfair that he had died - that the murderous Hunter was gone without proper punishment. As they left the building, most of them managed to escape the wall of reporters. Burt knew that he would be approached - so with Rory at one side, and his arm around Carole, he was able to make a quiet, dignified statement. That he missed his boys everyday, and that would never stop. That the death of Hunter was a tragic accident, but that he didn't deserve any sympathy. He was a killer. Justice had caught him and dealt out its punishment. Now, death had wreaked its own revenge on him.

Although Burt was the main focus of the media's attention, all of them found themselves under scrutiny. Rachel was first to be approached, and rather than talk about the case, she used it as an opportunity to promote _Funny Girl_, a performance that she was going to dedicate entirely to the memory of her friends.

Puck was another target, obvious to them all in his air force uniform. Quinn came to his side and took the questions, as "my partner cannot make any kind of statement whilst he is serving our nation - suffice to say that he is still devastated by the deaths of three of his greatest friends, as we all are. Justice has been done."

Santana flummoxed a couple of journalists by talking to them only in Spanish, whilst by her side, Brittany ranted about how he had murdered her dolphins.

Sam found himself pulled into the company of the Warblers, and Wes acted as a spokesman for them all. His statement was simple. "The honour of the Dalton Academy Warblers was besmirched by Hunter in the worst possible way. Thanks to him, two cherished former members and a great friend lost their lives. We will never forget them or their sacrifice in the name of decency, morality and truth. I say this on behalf of all their former colleagues in both the Warblers and the New Directions. Their voices will sing on in our hearts forever."

Cooper was looking bewildered until Sue Sylvester suddenly appeared beside him, and started to answer on his behalf. Her answers were short, to the point and spot on. "Thanks," he whispered to her when the questioning died down for a moment.

"No problem," she replied. "Just looking out for Porcelain and the Hobbit's best interests."

It was Artie that noticed it first - how warm he suddenly felt wrapped up for the cold winter weather. The clouds had parted and the sun was now shining strongly, feeling so warm on his face. It was beginning to make him feel rather overdressed. He turned to Mercedes, standing next to him. "It feels as if the winter is finally over. A long, hard cold season has finally given way to the warmth of spring. And the cold spell chooses to break on the very same day that Hunter finally gets the punishment that he deserved. If I was a religious person, I'd think that this was a little more than a happy coincidence…"

"You might be right," replied Mercedes after a moments thought. "It does seem strange that the temperature has risen so much in one day. Even more so when you consider that only a few hours ago, it was cold enough for there to be ice on the ledge he fell off… It wouldn't surprise me one bit if it was connected."

As Wes watched over the group of Warblers, both time served and honorary, he was glad, as they all were, that Nick and Jeff had not had to face this barrage of questions, Jeff in particular. He could see the eyes of the worst of the press looking for his blond hair - one low life TV reporter forced a microphone into Sam's face, and asked him how he felt about his brother. Sam paused a moment, then said "I love him; Stevie's a great kid - so is our sister Stacey." The reporter had looked confused, before Sam just said "Not Jeff, dude." Wes knew that all of this would have killed Jeff - Nick would have ended up getting mad, as would all of his other fledglings for that matter. He was glad that they had been taken out of the back door into the ambulance with Elspeth, and were now safely out of harm's way at the hospital. The arrest of Gordon Clarington had so far been kept under wraps, so nobody would be looking for Jeff in the hospitals yet. The time would come when the sins of the father would emerge though. Wes decided that he needed to make his way to the hospital, and be there to protect his two boys. They had been through more than enough already.

Elspeth Clarington had been taken, with a distinct amount of irony, to the same hospital that had treated Kurt and Blaine on that now distant night in September. Nick found himself sitting in the same waiting area that had seen so much despair. This time the outcome was not expected to be as tragic. Although she was badly injured, she was not going to die, that much they had been told. Nick was glad of that, as he did not know how Jeff would cope if she did. Some people would find it difficult to understand why he felt so much for a woman that had not been part of his life for well over a decade. Nick got it. When he had been forced away from his parents by his father's violent reaction to his coming out, it had been his mother that he had longed for and missed most. There was a connection between mother and child that could not be severed, except by death. He felt that connection - when she had cried out on first seeing his scars, it had caused him to fall apart. So the fact that Jeff felt a bond to Elspeth was the most natural thing in the world. But he was also fully aware of a potential future issue if they were not careful. To that end, he had called Jeff's parents to let them know what was going on. His mom needed to know he was bonding with his birth mother. The Sterlings had dropped everything, and were on their way.

They arrived with bagels and coffee. It was well past their usual lunchtime, but it wasn't until they saw the food and drink that Nick and Jeff felt hungry. Jeff leapt up and enveloped his mom in a hug; Mr Sterling, reached out a hand to Nick, and hugged him too. "How is he?" he whispered to Nick.

"He's ok on the surface," Nick whispered back, "but on the inside, his emotions are probably all over the place. He was nearly kidnapped; he saw me, Wes and Sebastian hurt by his father; his biological brother plummeted to his death from the roof of the court; and then his natural mother is found beaten. I'm not worried that he is on the verge of another breakdown, though. He is just going to need all of us to support him in everything, including his decision to get to know his mother again…"

As he said those words, Nick looked at Mr Sterling's face. It didn't fall, but it did take on an air of resignation. "I was kind of expecting this when you told me why he was here. I understand why he needs to do this. If what she says is true… His mom also understands. Just as long as we don't lose him - that would hurt us both so much…"

In the other corner of the room, Jeff was still being held in his mom's arms. Judy Sterling had always dreaded that one day, her son's real family would arrive. That they would want to take her beautiful boy away from her. It turned out that his real family was so dysfunctional. His brother was a psychopath; his father no better. But his mother - she was obviously the parent that he took after. From what Nick had said on the phone, she had known nothing about her son's adoption until it was too late. Had not looked for him to save him from hurt and pain. Judy could only imagine how she would have felt if she had come home one day to find Jeff gone. She deserved to have a place in his life - in his heart. She had also seen the worry in his eyes the moment that she had walked into the room - the fear that she would feel that he had betrayed her. So he took the chance to speak to her quietly. "You will always be my mom. You raised me, loved me and accepted me for who I am. You made me the man I am. But she is my mother. I feel something towards her. She will never, ever take your place, but she has to be in my life too. So, I need you and dad to meet her. I need you to try and get on. I need all of you around me and I always will. I love you too much to ever let you go…"

Martin Sterling had made his way over to his wife and son by then, and heard the end of Jeff's words. He let him finish, and then spoke. "Jeff, we love you so much too. We could not bear to lose you; as long as you want us, we will be there to support you and your future husband over there. We want to be grandparents to your kids; we want to be there for every big event in your lives as a couple, for as long as we live. But we also understand that you will want your birth mother, Elspeth, there too. Your kids will just have three grandmothers; look on the bright side - you are only getting one mother-in-law; poor Nick is getting two…"

It was a bad joke, but it made Jeff burst out laughing, his parents joining in. Nick looked over, slightly confused, and was rewarded with even more laughter on the part of Jeff. He just shook his head, and turned back to his phone, to the text that Wes had just sent - 'Press hounding us. Fact Hunter is dead now public. Only matter of time before the rest comes out. Will come to hospital soon.' Nick could only shudder as he imagined the press arriving here….

"Family of Elspeth Clarington?"

Jeff stood up and walked over to the doctor, explaining that he was her son. The doctor told him the extent of her injuries. "She has several broken bones - the main one in her left arm, where her ulna is shattered. She also has two broken fingers, three cracked ribs and a fractured cheekbone. She is in considerable pain and we have given her morphine to help. She is asking for you, so you can go in. The normal rule is two visitors at a time, but given the circumstances, you can all go in, as long as you don't distress her." They all followed the doctor along a familiar corridor, in the direction of the room that Blaine had occupied. In the back of his mind, Nick dreaded finding Elspeth was in the same room, but fate was not that cruel. Jeff's parents opted to wait outside to begin with. When he entered, Jeff saw his mother's face light up. He walked over to the bed and took her hand, Nick by his side.

"I wasn't sure if you would stay," Elspeth began. "I hoped, but I would have understood if you hadn't. And you brought your gorgeous fiancé along too. You make a handsome couple. I am so glad that you are happy Jeff. It makes up for losing all of those years, to know that you have been loved. Your parents must be the most special kind of people. I'd like to meet them and thank them face to face one day…"

"Well, that day might be sooner than you think - they're outside, and want to meet you too. Nick, can you bring them in?" A brief look of fear and shame crossed Elspeth's face as Nick opened the door and beckoned the Sterlings in. "This is my mom and my dad, Judy and Martin Sterling. We have had a talk about the situation, and we all agreed that I need to have all three of you in my life. So, let's all get to know each other and try to get along….because Nicky and I will want all three of you there, probably in August…"

The Sterlings looked confused, but Elspeth realised at once what Jeff meant. "Your wedding! If you really want me there, then I will be there. I never thought that I would even see you again, and now…"

She burst into tears, and at once Judy was by her side with a tissue to wipe her eyes. "Our son likes to spring these kind of things on us. I still remember the night that Nick arrived in the early hours, and Jeff calmly announced that he was his boyfriend now, and he was in need of a home… You'll get used to it. As his mothers, we will have to stick together. As Nick's mothers-in-law….he'll have to behave." As she said this, she had taken Elspeth's hand, and was rewarded with a smile of gratitude from both the lady in question, and her son.


	64. Coping with the aftermath Part II

**February 28****th**** 2014 : Coping with the aftermath Part Two**

By the time the press attention had diminished sufficiently to allow them all to escape, the news that Hunter had died was across all the networks. On their arrival at the Spotlight Diner, space was quickly made for the large group to sit together. "On the house" were the first words that they heard uttered - Kurt had been a favourite at the Spotlight; Blaine was popular too. Orders were placed, and Sam, Santana, Brittany and Rachel helped out with getting the drinks to the table whilst the food was prepared. From his position at the head of the long line of tables along one wall that they occupied, Burt smiled as he surveyed the group. All of these people he had met through their friendship with his son, with only a couple of exceptions. He wasn't sure where his boys were right now - Elizabeth might well have had some task for them to do. They were no longer bound to the earth - they were visiting angels, tied to heaven more than to those they had left behind. He missed Kurt, Finn and Blaine - but each one of the young people sat at those tables knew that in a crisis, they could come to him. Plus, there were those three - Rory, so clearly in love with Trent, just as Kurt had been with Blaine; Cooper, sat next to Grace Duval - she was a lovely girl and just about right to tame him; and Sam, sweet natured and falling for Rachel, with Finn's blessing. His new 'sons'.

The food was being brought to the table, the four off duty staff once again helping out. Once everyone had their plate in front of them, Burt stood up, and at once they all fell silent. The whole diner did. "Today has been a long time in coming. It is nearly a year since Finn was taken from us; just over 5 months since Kurt left here with Blaine, on the verge of marriage. Now we have the justice that we have all craved since we found out who took them from us. It has not been easy for any of us - I think that we have all had moments when we just wanted to give up. Those boys would not have wanted us to. Hunter Clarington can't hurt us anymore. He is in the past. We can never forget what has happened, but now we need to move forward; we have to live for their sakes. We have to look to the future and look at what we have been given as a consequence. Trent and Rory, they have each other. I have a new 'son' in Cooper, and by the looks of it, I might soon have a daughter-in-law.." There was a burst of laughter as both Cooper and Grace blushed. "She is a lovely girl, so I'm giving you my blessing well in advance. Plus, I suppose I'd gain Nick and Jeff… Sorry, enough of this. I know that I have been helped through all of this by having each and every one of you around to support both me and Carole. You've all supported each other through the hard moments and for that we must be grateful. So I ask you to raise a toast to each other; to strength brought through love for each other, as friends and colleagues. A toast to those we lost, and to their memory living on in our hearts every day. And finally to the new trio - Finn, Kurt and Blaine Schuester. Will, warn Emma that Carole and I will be making your place our first stop when we get back to Lima. I ask you to raise your glasses to friends past, present and future." Around the diner, everyone raised a glass, even those who had not known them. They had to have been good people to deserve such adulation.

As they ate, talk turned to what happens now. They had originally envisaged a celebration that night, but after all that had happened and the subsequent absence of two people, it was decided to delay things to the following night. This fitted in with almost everyone's plans. Will had originally planned to fly his group of youngsters home the following day - he still had to get back to Emma and his sons. Burt was able to offer a solution - he and Carole were due to fly home on Sunday, so they would take over as the chaperones, a solution to the issue. It would also let the kids have a bit of tourist time. For everyone else, Sunday would also be their travel day; Thad and David back to L.A.; Mike to Chicago; Puck to his base; Quinn and Tina to their respective colleges. Flint, Beats, Rory and Trent would all leave later on that day. From having two overcrowded lofts, they would go back to normality. The only person that was not leaving was Wes; he would remain in New York until the summer, having arranged to attend classes at NYU. He would miss having all of his flock around, but he would still be there for Sebastian, Nick and Jeff. Whether he would still be in Bushwick was slightly up in the air, and would be down to Dave Karofsky. If he did move in with Sebastian, then Cooper had a spare room.

The latter had been talking to Grace, his eyes focused entirely on her, for the entire meal. If someone had told him this time last year that he would meet a woman that could sweep him off his feet so completely as she had, then he would have laughed. But she had done exactly that to him. Her smile lit up his whole world; she was smart, beautiful and even laughed at his jokes. She was the one that he had been waiting for his entire life. He could not risk blowing it, not now. He wanted to marry her - heck, he could even picture their children… He realised that she was staring at him curiously - he had been lost to the world, deep in thought. "Sorry," he said. "I was miles away, thinking about how much I love you…"

"Just as well I love you too, you dork. It's only been a week, but…"

"Like Kurt was for Blaine, and Nick is for Jeff, I think you and I might be soulmates?"

She smiled back at him, and took his hand. Once you got to know him, he was a nice guy, for all his bravado so shy and vulnerable underneath. Grace Hummel-Warbler was a bit of a mouthful, but she could live with it when the time came along…

Sitting near the bottom end of the row of tables, Sue Sylvester realised just how sickeningly sweet it all was. The whole mess of camaraderie between choirs; the love stories taking place before her eyes - yep, alongside Brittana, Quick and Trory, she could see a reborn Tike, Wilde-Abrams, and lord forbid, Samchel. These couple names were equally nauseating - who alone knows what they would use for Grace and Cooper, or Mercedes and David. The amount of love in the room - even she was feeling it. She had to be getting soft, because it wasn't bothering her - in fact, it was kind of nice. She needed to get back home, so that she could return to normal. Ten minutes in the hell hole of McKinley should sort her out nicely. But just now… if she wasn't mistaken, that Warbler was in love with Wes. Yep, no doubt about it from the way he is looking at him. Now that was a new one on her…

* * *

At the hospital, Nick and Jeff now sat alone by Elspeth's bed. The lady in question had been given a quantity of painkillers that caused her first to be drowsy, and then to fall asleep all together. Nick had finally allowed himself to be checked out properly, at the insistence of Jeff's parents, to discover that he had a broken nose. It was not too severe, and so he would not require it to be splinted up - he just had to be careful. The first bruises had also begun to appear on his face. Jeff had begun to cry on seeing them, but Nick told him that he was proud to be carrying bruises for him. He also made him a promise, in song, though it sounded a bit odd due to his broken nose - "_No-one's going to harm you, not while I'm around_" he sang, to the amusement of the nurses in the ER. There were days when Jeff did wonder if Nick really loved him; how he still could after all that they had been through, largely due to him; he often felt that he didn't deserve him. He never voiced those fears. Every time he wondered, Nick would do something that proved his love. His peaceful Nick had weighed in to save him against a man twice his size. He was scarred for him; he was bruised and battered - it really had to be love.

There was a quiet knock on the door, and a policeman and woman entered. They had been expecting this for some time now. They had taken Gordon away, but with all his political connections, he was no doubt trying to use his influence to get free. That was what they expected to hear, knowing full well that if he did get out, he would probably head straight for the hospital. They were shocked therefore to hear that the F.B.I. had arrived at the precinct, with a warrant for the detention of Gordon Clarington on numerous charges of fraud; for harassment of other federal employees; for acts of violence and intimidation. His arrest for the assault and battery of his wife at the Central Criminal Court, after the death of his murderous son, had forced them to bring the charges forward. They had only one request - that to speed up the process of their case, the additional charges of attempting to kidnap his estranged son, and the subsequent attack on his fiancé and a number of his friends be dropped. In return, they would keep them all out of the courts for their case against Gordon - and minimise the involvement of Elspeth. In addition, he would be refused bail; and he and his brother given a restraining order banning them from New York and Vermont. In addition, they would not be allowed within 200 yards of Nick, Jeff or Elspeth, and their families, in all other parts of the United States.

There was a part of Nick that wanted to say something - that wanted to see him charged for everything that he had done to Jeff; but before he could speak, he heard a voice.

"I know that you want him to pay for what he did to Jeff - and if we had known exactly what he was going to do, we would have tried to be there to help. But think about this Nick - do you really want to see Jeff on the stand again, this time in a Federal Court in Washington, having to stand there and give evidence against Gordon? And he seems like the sort that would want to press charges of assault against Jeff for biting him…"

Nick smiled and looked up at Blaine, with Kurt by his side; at Jeff standing by them, with expectation on his face. "It sounds like a good deal, Jeff. You should take it. He is not worth messing up our lives for any longer. This way, you are free of him for good. We all are - particularly if we can have the restraining order extended to cover all of the Warblers."

The cops looked to Jeff, who nodded and agreed to it, as long as Nick's suggestion about the Warblers was taken on board. As they took their leave, the cops informed them that the news about Gordon was about to be released - and that they expected the press to appear at the hospital. The security guards had been informed and would endeavour to keep them out.

"The others were besieged by them outside the court," said Kurt. "They badgered my dad and Cooper - one of them even thought that Sam was you, Jeff, and tried to grill him. They will come, and probably soon…"

"Err…correction, little brother," said Finn as he materialised in the room. "They are at the front door, and at the back. Turn on the TV and let's see what's going on…"

Sure enough, every news channel was broadcasting live from the hospital, awaiting the emergence of Jeff, who they knew had arrived with his estranged mother. Jeff visibly paled as he heard those words - saw the size of the crowd of press outside. He turned to Nick, who just opened his arms to hold him. As he did so, he noticed something on the screen, and smiled. "Don't worry Jeffie, the cavalry's on its way" He had just caught sight of Wes, with at least Thad and David behind him, sneaking past the press and in the main door.

Sure enough, 5 minutes later the door was opened and four Warblers stood there, the last being Beats. "How is she?" Wes asked Jeff, as David and Thad stared at the bruising on Nick's face. Beats stood in silence, feeling a draught yet again, just like the one in court. Either every public building in New York had been constructed in an appalling manner, or something was going on - something supernatural. Could it be the spirits of the three young men that Hunter had killed were now acting as their guardian angels? Or was that just too preposterous to believe for a moment? Behind him stood Finn, Kurt and Blaine standing to his side. They could hear his thoughts; it filled them with hope that one day, he at least would be able to see them. Beats was barely listening to all that was being said - he did notice Elspeth wake up and glance in surprise at the now full room. He coughed to attract the other's attention. Jeff was straight back to his mother's side - he made the introductions; told her what was going to happen to Gordon. Her reply was one word - "Good!"

She was gently trying to persuade Jeff to go home, when the door flew open, making the entire room jump from shock. Elspeth smiled, and turned to Jeff. "She always did like to make an entrance - this is my sister, Moira. Which makes you…"

"My long lost nephew Jeff. You haven't changed in general appearance since the last time I saw you, on your sixth birthday. Bigger, but the face is the same, and your hair is still that blond mop. The feds called me up when Gordon was arrested. I came down to New York yesterday - I've been helping them build up their case against him. I just wish they had started all this a few years ago. We could maybe he saved Hunter if we had done this then; stopped my big sister getting hurt again. Then again, if we had, we would never have got our lovely Jeff back. I know that his cousins and my wife will be dying to meet him when they find out…"

Nick turned to Jeff - he seemed to be saying 'Did she say wife?' Nick nodded, and Jeff could only smile. "I'd love to meet them all too, in time. And I'm sure my fiancé, Nick here, would agree…"

His aunt just started to laugh. "You definitely take after our side of the family then…" Jeff smiled as Nick wrapped his arms around him again. It seemed that he had not just gained a mother that day - he had got himself an entire family…


	65. WOHN News 8 - February 28th 2014

**WOHN News 8 - February 28****th**** 2014**

_Welcome to tonight's edition of WOHN News 8. The big story tonight, Friday 28__th__ February 2014 - Hunter Clarington is found guilty of all three charges at his trial in New York. An escape attempt fails, and he falls to his death from the roof of the court. For all the details, over to Jacob Ben Israel in Manhattan._

"Thanks Rod. After the guilty verdict, and the moving comments from the friends of the victims, today was all about the sentencing. He was, as viewers to our earlier updates will be aware, given three consecutive life sentences. He was going to prison and never coming out."

"What happened next was the stuff of television drama. The guard that escorted Hunter out of the court was a fake - the real guard was lying unconscious in a storage closet. Hunter is freed from his cuffs - it is believed that he then took the guard's gun and shot his lawyer, Masterton, at point blank range, in the head. He then turned the gun on the fake guard. But with no silencer, the shots attracted attention, and the court was immediately put on lockdown. In a futile attempt to escape, a desperate and disorientated Hunter took to the stairs, and ended up on the ice covered roof. I was outside at the time, and saw him fall. The footage taken is far too graphic to show - but there was no way he could have survived. He evaded the death penalty in Ohio, but still died in New York, far quicker than if he had been sentenced here."

"Outside the court, I was unaware of the events taking place within its walls. Tonight I can reveal that Gordon Clarington, Hunter's father and a high ranking Pentagon official, has been arrested by the F.B.I. over claims of fraud, and for the brutal beating of his wife, Elspeth, after Hunter's death. This is still a breaking story, and we at WOHN will follow it for you. I now hand you over to Sue Sylvester, who in lieu of her usual spot at the end of the broadcast, will be telling you how she sees it right now."

"Thanks Jacob, You know, when this trial began, I didn't think that you were good enough, but I have to admit, you proven me wrong… So, Ohio, we have the justice that we craved. Hunter Clarington was found guilty on all the charges that had been laid against him. He died after killing two more people - those lives could potentially have been saved if the trial had been held in Ohio; just consider that, liberals. His death was accidental, but it is not an accident that we will cry over. So who do we blame for the way Hunter turned out? His father's actions against his wife seem to show that the apple didn't fall very far from the tree. And boy, what a rotten apple."

"But there is more to this than a bad father. His uncle has to take some blame - he brought him to Dalton in the first place, to try and push his career ahead. He should be placed on trial himself for condoning the way that those Warbler boys were treated. He will be, even if I have to make the charges myself. The military school system has to be held to account too. An assessment of Clarington's mental state before they began to turn him into a killing machine could have prevented all of this."

"In the end, however, blame will not reverse the tragic end to the short lives of Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson and Blaine Anderson. It won't reverse the physical and psychological scars on a group of prep school boys that only wanted to sing. It won't stop the grief and loss. Tonight, I ask you to stop and think about Clarington's victims. Not just the three young men who died, but all those of us whose lives they touched. That, and back me in my quest to get compensation for the Warbler boys from the former governors of Dalton Academy. And that is how Sue sees it, on a day when justice was done - and the temperature rose by 30 degrees in the space of a few hours…"

_Short chapter today - my apologies, but tomorrow's is much longer. Thanks again for reading._


	66. February turns to March

**February turns to March - One last night out**

Getting Nick and Jeff out of the hospital turned out to be no easy task. There were journalists and camera crews at every entrance to the building. It looked for a few minutes as if there would be no other option than to brave the maelstrom of flash bulbs, microphones and recorders, until Wes noticed that the nurse in charge was being relieved by the night shift. He hurried over and talked to her rapidly and quietly, out of earshot of his five fellow Warblers, but with Finn hovering at his side - the latter suddenly gave a thumbs up and flew back over, causing yet another draught to annoy Beats. He turned to Thad, and whispered "Would you mind if I asked you…do you believe in ghosts? Because these draughts that seem to be plaguing us wherever we go - I think it's their spirits…Blaine or Kurt or Finn… Do I sound mad, because it is a mad thing to say, but do you think it could be them?"

Thad looked at him and simply said, "You aren't mad."

He said no more, and just smiled. A look of shock came over Beats face. Had Thad just confirmed…? Before he could ask any more, Wes was beckoning them all over and Thad was gone. Beats got up to follow him, and as he did so, he could swear he heard someone, that sounded a lot like Kurt, say "Actually, we're angels."

There was no-one there that he could see, but that meant nothing. "I can believe that," he said, as he walked quickly to catch up with the others. Behind him, a smile had appeared on three faces - the first steps on a long road had just been taken.

They escaped from the hospital crammed into the back of the chief nurses car. It was a very tight squeeze, but no-one noticed the car driving out of the underground car park with Wes sat in the front, and 5 other young men sat in the back; Jeff and Thad had to sit on the laps of Nick and David respectively. Two blocks away they got out, with a chorus of thanks, at the entrance to the Subway. It had been a long day and bed was calling. They split up at the next interchange station they came to on the Subway - Thad, Beats and David to their hotel; Wes, Nick and Jeff back to Bushwick, the latter two leant on either side of Wes, half asleep. It was a relief when they reached the loft to find only Sebastian there. "How's your mother doing, Jeff?" was his first question. Once he had been given an answer, he disappeared in to the kitchen to make hot chocolate and toast, asking Nick to come and help him. As soon as they were alone, Wes sat next to Jeff on the sofa and pulled him into a hug - it was all the latter needed to feel. He was finally able to let his tears fall, safe in the arms of their leader. In the kitchen, Sebastian had done exactly the same for Nick, and held the smaller boy in his arms as he cried. No-one would ever have believed when they first met him that it would be Sebastian that would take on a Wes like role, but he had confounded opinion by doing exactly that when the chips were down. Nick was grateful for him that night. It had been a long three weeks, and now all he hoped for was a few quieter ones. Thankfully, the worst was over now.

In the living room, Wes had allowed Jeff to cry for a few minutes, before he started to talk. "So, how do you feel, honestly? Three weeks ago, your family consisted of your parents and your Uncle Alan. Now, you have your birth mother back, an aunt and some cousins."

"Aunts, Wes. Let us not forget that Aunt Moira has a wife. Do you know, now that I think about it, I never asked how many cousins I have… I wish I had. I know so little about them, and it is going to be daunting getting to know them. But I want to, so much. I was always a little bit jealous of Nick with his sister, grandparents and all the rest, when all I had was my uncle. Now, I have a whole extended family to meet. But, the truth is, I always had Nick, and all of the other Warblers. My other family. You were always there for me, and still are. I will always be grateful for that."

It wasn't that much later that evening that everyone decided to head to bed. Nick had called Grace whilst they ate their mini feast of toast, chips and cookies, all agreeing once again that Sebastian made the best hot chocolate. She was out on a date with Cooper, brought forward a night to avoid clashing with the celebration the next day. Neither of them objected to the interruption - in fact, Cooper had asked for the phone and had talked to Nick himself, before having a quick word with Jeff. This done, Nick and Jeff had headed for a bath, their usual source of stress relief; Sebastian had called Dave; and Wes popped across the landing for a chat with Burt, to fill him in on all that had happened at the hospital. By the time he got back, the loft was quiet - he found Sebastian at the door to Nick and Jeff's room, looking in on his two sleeping friends, Jeff being held tightly in Nick's arms. "This is the best thing to come out of the whole Hunter debacle," said Sebastian quietly as he closed the door. "He brought them closer to each other; made Nick realise just how much he loved Jeff. Maybe they would have ended up together anyway, but he made it happen now."

Wes nodded sagely, and silently thought 'He also turned you from an out and out bitch into a version of me. Brought out the good side that had always been hidden in you. And in the end, his actions brought you back from London, and into the arms of Dave. That's a pretty good thing too.'

Overnight, the temperature continued to rise. The ice on the top of the Criminal Courts began to melt. The piles of snow at the edge of the sidewalks began to thaw rapidly. The meteorologists would note that it was the fastest thaw in decades, after a three week long cold snap. The long winter was finally over and now the warmth of spring could begin to show. As they slept across New York City, three angels kept a silent watch on their friends and family, all of whom slept soundly that night for the first time in months - in fact, since that fateful night in September.

The next morning found them all going about their business as normal - Santana and Brittany had to work the early shift; Artie had college work to catch up on, plus he had received a video file from Jacob of the moment when Hunter slipped. He watched it, and paled as he fell. He stored it away for use at a later date. Cooper had gone to do a volunteer stint at a local soup kitchen, and Grace had gone with him. Sam and Rachel took the five youngest members of the New Directions on a whistlestop sight seeing tour. Carole and Trent packed first, then set about preparing food for a last big dinner later that evening; Burt and Rory were busy catching up on Burt's congressional papers, and answering the huge number of messages of support that he had received from both sides of the house. Puck and Quinn had put up a Do Not Disturb sign, and stayed in bed - Puck had to report back first thing on Monday morning, and they did not know when his next leave would be. Wes had gone out with Thad, Beats and Flint; David had taken Mercedes out to lunch; and Sebastian was spending some alone time with Dave. As for Nick and Jeff, they had returned to the hospital to visit Elspeth, and were thankful to find that the press had gone. They learned that Jeff had three cousins, two boys and one girl, and that they lived in Vermont. Elspeth would go to stay with them when she was discharged from the hospital. She had also taken the decision to hire a lawyer, and sue for a divorce.

The two boys left the hospital feeling happier than they had for some time. They decided on the spur of the moment to take a stroll through Manhattan, heading in the general direction of Penn station - Elspeth had mentioned that Jeff's aunt lived near to the community of Bellows Falls, a stop on the Vermonter train, so they decided to go and pick up a schedule. On their way there, they passed by the New Yorker Hotel; a sign outside saying Wedding Fayre caught their eyes. They looked at each other, and without saying a word, joined hands and walked into the hotel.

It was just after five that evening that people began to gather at the larger of the two lofts in Bushwick for a celebration meal. It had been remarked that it did feel wrong to refer to it as a celebration, given all that had occurred. It did however feel like a party. The purpose of the event was to thank everyone for their support, and to be glad that the trial was now over - the nightmare was in the past. Although nobody's life would ever go back to exactly how it was, they could all now try and get back to some semblance of normality. Carole had cooked up a storm, with a lot of help from Trent - they had been joined by Quinn once she and Puck had surfaced, and eventually by Sebastian. Puck and Dave had been left to watch sport on the television initially, but in time they had been summoned to set the table and help decorate. The only people that were still missing at the appointed time were Nick and Jeff, who had given their apologies for running late via a text to Wes. In it, they had said that they had to pop back to the hospital to see Elspeth, after popping in on Jeff's parents before they returned home to Ohio. By a stroke of luck, they had found Nick's mom with them. In Wes' opinion, this was just poor time management, and he would tell them so when they arrived.

They had all been sat down at the various tables for about ten minutes, and had begun their meal, when they heard the door open, and the two young men in question arrived, out of breath but still changed into new clothes. Their hands were entwined together, and both had a huge grin on their face. "Sorry we are late everyone, but we got a bit distracted in Manhattan…" began Nick.

"Then we had to go and see my parents, and Nick's mom was there, which was good, and then we went back to the hospital to see my mother - because…well we had something we needed to tell them first…" continued Jeff.

They looked at each other as if trying to decide who should speak next. In the end, it went back to Nick. "We need you all to keep the 23rd of August free…"

"To come to the New Yorker Hotel…"

"For our wedding. We've booked the Crystal Ballroom. And we want you all there…"

There was a momentary silence - cutlery was paused in mid air. Then there was a shout of "Niff wedding! Fantastic! And what a venue. We did look, but it was out of what people thought was our budget…" All eyes turned to an excited Blaine, who was standing right behind Nick - all except Flint and Grace.

Beats for his part just looked startled - 'Yesterday Kurt, today Blaine. I'm losing it…' he thought. Then, just to confuse him more…

"Of course, it wasn't, if only I had known," sighed Kurt. "But it will be just right for you too - and I'm helping with the décor…"

"So, who is going to be the best man?" said Flint, ignoring the fact that next to him Beats had taken on the appearance of a startled bunny. That one question was enough to set off a dozen others. Wes was the first one to get up and go over and hug his boys, who looked happier than he had seen them for some time. He was almost beaten by Trent and Sebastian; they were swiftly followed by all the others.

"Went to see your parents first - good boys. Unlike my son, who told me nearly last," said Burt as he hugged them in his turn. Kurt and Blaine blushed as he said it - they had indeed told everyone else before him when they had got their licence. Then Carole began to usher them all back to the tables to get on with their meal.

As they sat with the other Warblers, Nick and Jeff were both thinking the same thing - Wes as head groomsman. As for their individual best man, well, for Jeff it had to be Trent, the oldest of his friends from Dalton. For Nick, the choice had been less simple, but in the end, he had decided that he would ask Sebastian. That would probably shock him, but it was true - after Trent, Sebastian was Nick's best friend.

Had circumstances been different, then Nick would have asked Blaine, no doubt about it. He would still be there - and he fully intended asking him to be there at Sebastian's side, to keep his worst excesses in check. Likewise, Jeff intended to ask Kurt to assist Trent. The only other thing that they hoped their angelic friends could assist them with would be ensuring that Flint, Beats and Grace, at least, had the ability to see them at the wedding - ideally, they would want Nick's mother, Jeff's parents and his new family included, as it would make life so much easier at the reception. But those requests, along with the actual details, were for another time; now was the time for thanks that the trial was finished; justice had been delivered for their three friends; and that Hunter could not hurt anyone again. He had been taken out of the equation once and for all, for which they were all so very grateful. They ate as a group the most appropriate thing for such a gathering - a full Thanksgiving dinner. Most of them had fond memories of the actual day of Thanksgiving last year - it had come at a time when they were all still so distressed after the deaths of Kurt and Blaine. Two days later, of course, the whole world was changed… Everyone enjoyed it immensely, and nobody objected when they were asked to help clean things up, allowing Carole and Trent to relax. Then it was time for the younger people to head out.

Their first stop was Callbacks, as it was far too early for the club, and Santana had arranged to meet Elliot and Dani there. They had both been invited to come to the meal, but had declined, mainly on the grounds that they knew so few of the group. Elliot had however managed to arrange with a friend of his for a set of fake ID's to be made up for the younger members of the New Directions, so that they could gain admittance to the club, after Santana had passed on their photos. She had, being Santana, taken a few liberties with the names on the cards. Kitty gave her a death glare as she was handed a driving licence for Kitty Abrams; Unique however had no issues, as any ID that did not say Wade was a big plus. Nearly everyone went up to sing at some point. This time almost everyone was given the opportunity to pick their own songs - Wes had learnt his lesson after the last time. He left making the error of judgement to Santana and Sebastian, who between them put Nick and Jeff up for _Marry You_ \- a track which brought back memories for the older members of the New Directions. The two boys got their own back by making Santana sing _Big Spender_ with Sebastian at her side, before he was put up for _I am what I am_. Wes could only laugh as he was so glad that he had escaped this time. The joke turned out to be on Nick and Jeff though, as Sebastian owned the song, and received a standing ovation when he finished.

Then, when the time was right, they left Callbacks for the club. Once again, Artie was carried down the stairs by Puck; followed by Kitty who found that the words "He's my husband" got her past the most suspicious of doormen. The only person who had any difficulty in getting in was Ryder - but Unique came to his rescue by giving him a kiss on the cheek, then showing the doorman her ID with a wink, and a whispered "He's with me - and my real name is Wade…" In no time at all, they were all inside, Rachel once more holding court at what was by now her usual table. The drink flowed, albeit very slowly for the youngsters, and not at all in the case of Marley and Mercedes. Nick and Jeff persuaded the DJ to play a special song in memory of Kurt and Blaine - everyone of the regulars at the club knew who they were, so there were no objections to the playing of _Come What May_ in tribute to them. It did bring the club to a halt for a few minutes as they all remembered them, and Finn for that matter. What most of the club could not see, but their closest friends could, were Kurt and Blaine, waltzing arm in arm across the nearly empty dance floor, whilst Finn stood and watched with tears in his eyes. The song for their first dance had been played, only a few months late, and as Mike would later remark, Blaine's waltz had been flawless.

After that, it was all about the dancing. After their mini feast of junk food and hot chocolate the night before, and after watching Nick and Jeff as they slept, Wes had announced to Sebastian that he had something for him. He had found a waistcoat amongst his clothes that he felt Sebastian might like, and wanted him to try it on for size. The latter was curious until he saw the garment in question - it had a solid back, but was cut in a deep, almost U shape on the front, with narrow sides leading to a couple of buttons at the base. "I thought that this might appeal to you - I never really liked it - but it would show off most of your chest, whilst covering up your scars, if you were to wear it out to a club. Almost like taking your top off, but without the pitying stares." When Sebastian had kissed him in gratitude, he had not been at all shocked.

Now, the boy in question was unbuttoning his Nehru collar jacket, to reveal said waistcoat, worn without a shirt. A wolf whistle from Santana was a good start - the lust filled stares of Dave Karofsky the clincher. He dragged his boyfriend out onto the dance floor as guys around the club focussed their eyes on him. 'I'm back!' he thought. 'The centre of attention again, and I love it!' At the same time, Dave was the only guy he wanted to dance with - even more so when the latter also removed his shirt, flinging it towards the table. The fact that it hit Rachel square in the face when he did so made Santana's night.

As the night went on more shirts came off. Beats was by now to be expected; Sam, Puck and Flint no shocker. The moment that Nick and Jeff joined them did raise one or two eyebrows, and as both had been wearing ties, which they didn't remove, it got a few laughs too. By the end of the night, Mike and Thad had joined them; the former getting an appraising eye from Tina, before she stormed onto the dance floor and announced to a guy that was eyeing up Mike that he was her boyfriend, so he had better back off. "Not a shock," said Rachel, Quinn and Mercedes all at once - they then looked at each other and burst out laughing. As for Thad, he was rewarded with a broad smile from Wes, who then kept half an eye on him for the rest of the night. All he could think was that if he had to keep his promise and marry Thad when he turned 30, it wouldn't be so bad. He could live with being Thad's husband. He almost jumped up to dance with him, but he was all too aware of Santana's eyes upon him. He knew she had suspicions about the extent of his feelings for Thad, and he didn't want to risk giving her any more ammunition.

It was well into Sunday morning before they reached home; no-one was very drunk, so people did manage to make their way to bed properly. Sebastian had invited Dave to come home with him, so David suggested that Wes should come back to the hotel with him and Thad. Cooper walked Grace back to her hotel, before taking a taxi back to his house in Murray Hill. Puck ensured that everyone else was safely on their way home in taxis, before he and the rest of the Bushwick residents headed for the Subway - there was safety in numbers. With almost no exceptions, they headed straight to bed.

In his hotel room, David Thompson emerged from the bathroom to find Thad and Wes dancing topless to some upbeat music, turned down low. He just sat on his bed and shook his head, toying with the idea of filming them on his phone and putting it on Youtube. But then it dawned on him, as it had on Santana - he was witnessing a bromance turning into a romance. Thad had always had those feelings, and now it seemed that Wes was starting to feel the same way. He wasn't going to jeopardise that with a video on the internet. He cared for them both too much to ever do something like that.


	67. March 2014 : New Beginnings

**March 2014 : New Beginnings**

No-one slept as long that Sunday as they had a few weeks earlier - for most of them, it was the day that they had to leave New York and head back to their normal lives. It also meant that for some couples, it was time to separate again, at least for a while. Puck was the first to leave - he and Quinn had sat in silence during breakfast, not even reacting when Burt began to laugh as he read the headline on one of the Sunday papers - _Hunter Clarington - Deranged Killer and Dolphin Slayer._ When the moment finally came, they hugged on the threshold for several minutes. Then Puck was gone, smart in his uniform, back to his base in Virginia. Quinn shed a few tears in Rachel's arms after he left, then wiped her eyes and resumed her packing. She would be taking the train back to New Haven, and would be travelling at the same time as Tina. Rory and Trent would be boarding a Washington bound train at about the same time. Burt and Carole would be heading to the airport to fly back to Ohio, with the five youngsters. Mr Schue would be waiting at Columbus to pick them up. Their flight left from Newark, so they too would be heading to Penn station. They would board a local train, and Beats and Flint decided to join them, as it would take them back to Princeton.

Mike was scheduled to fly back to Chicago at about the same time as David and Thad were heading out to L.A., but at the last minute, and out of earshot of Tina, he admitted that there had been a change of plans, and he needed to stay at least another night, as he had a meeting in New York the following morning. Needless to say, he was told it was no problem - but once Tina was gone, he was grilled by Sam and Santana - he eventually revealed that he had an interview for a place at Juilliard. He was feeling lonely in Chicago, so far from all his friends - and yes, Tina in particular. It was a big gamble to take, but he had to try for a transfer. He wanted to be closer to them all - losing Finn, Kurt and Blaine had made him question so much, and in the end it reinforced something in his mind - that life was short, and you needed to stay close to the people that you loved. "And it is Tina that I love. I've dated other girls, but I kept coming back to her. So, yeah, hopefully I will be at school here next semester. All I need to do is find somewhere to stay…"

"I suppose I could share with Brittany," said Santana innocently.

"Or Mike could share with me," said Sam with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I wouldn't want you to suffer…"

Mike swore the pair to secrecy until he found out - he didn't want to raise Tina's hopes, only to dash them.

There was much moving from one place to another to bid people farewell - first to the concourse at Penn station, where hugs were exchanged, and promises to be back in August were made, if not before then. Then there was a journey out to JFK for Wes, Nick, Jeff and Mercedes, to say goodbye to David and Thad. Again there were hugs in the departures area - David promised Mercedes he would Skype with her the following night; Wes promised to call Thad the next day too. Then the two were back off to L.A., leaving Mercedes quite upset - Wes put an arm around her and helped her back towards the exit, with Nick and Jeff trailing slowly behind. "I think that Mercedes has well and truly fallen for our David," said Jeff in a half whisper.

"And he has fallen for her - so that's good," replied Nick in the same hushed tones. He then continued "And Thad…"

"I always suspected that he was gay, Nicky - but Wes, he is straight."

"True, Jeff - but then again, this time last year, so was I…" Nick replied with a wink.

Jeff smiled and wrapped his arm around his fiancé's shoulders. Maybe there was a chance for Thes after all…

That night, both lofts sat down for dinner at home - from the huge crowds of the previous weeks, it was a relief to get back to normality. Nick and Jeff had managed between them to create a huge amount of Spaghetti Bolognese; Sebastian had been charged with making dessert, and he had taken the easy route, popped out and bought a large cheesecake. Across the landing, Sam had taken charge - thanks to years of watching, and sometimes assisting, Kurt and Carole, he was able to prepare a chicken casserole. As they ate, they all had the feeling that they were being watched, but they knew that it was their friends, and so didn't let on. It was comforting to know that they had someone looking out for them all the time. After dinner, Nick and Jeff began to discuss the wedding - Sebastian groaning "And so it begins…" as they started.

They were joined eventually by Kurt and Blaine, the latter ending up talking music with Nick, as Kurt whispered in Jeff's ear "I'll help you chose the suits - then tell my husband to convince your future one that it was all his choice…" Wes managed to stifle a laugh as he overheard that. It was almost as if they really hadn't gone at all. It was all exactly as it would have been if they hadn't died, minus one thing - touching.

The following day, Nick returned to his job at the law library; Wes to his classes at NYU, and Sebastian headed out to see Dave, leaving Jeff alone for the first time in weeks. Within a few hours, even his sketching couldn't stop him from feeling bored. He needed something to keep himself occupied until he started school. He would have to find himself a job, something part time like Nick, hopefully at the same times. He broached the subject to Brittany when he saw her later that day - he had wandered over the landing to knock on the door of the other loft, and found that she too was home alone. He sketched her as they talked, and she revealed that their might be a vacancy at the Spotlight Diner. Jeff resolved to head there and ask the next day, after he had spoken to Nick.

Across town, Mike was at his meeting at Juilliard. He had already danced for a couple of hours before a judging panel and had then sat through a lengthy interview with one of the senior staff. It had all seemed to go well, and when they called him back in, he fully expected to be told that he would have their answer in a few weeks. He did not expect to be congratulated, and told that they would see him in class after the summer, as his transfer was definitely on. He thought about calling his friends to tell them the good news - Finn had been in the room as he had been told, but he had sworn himself to keeping it secret. He decided to wait and share the news only after he had talked to Tina on Skype. He was sure that everyone would be just as happy as he was.

Not far away, C.J. Hummel-Warbler was standing on a Broadway stage, auditioning for a part. This was his second audition for the role - the first had been the week before the trial. He had explained about the upcoming court case, and found the director was aware of it, and completely sympathetic - he had actually been at the NYADA Winter Showcase in late 2012, and had seen Kurt blow the audience away. He had held over the second auditions until Cooper was available - he had been a bit shocked by the name change at first, but when it was explained to him, he got it. Cooper had never even expected a callback from his first Broadway audition, but here he was, singing, dancing and acting alongside some of his potential co-stars. He couldn't see the faces of those watching in the stalls, but he seemed to be making a good impression on those on stage with him. He could only wait and see after this…

Rachel returned from her _Funny Girl_ rehearsals that night to discover everyone sitting around the table in the kitchen, with the exception of Mike, who had left only minutes earlier for a Skype chat with Tina in private. Much as she loved her Warbler neighbours, Mercedes and Artie, she could have done without them that night. The presence of Cooper, Grace and Dave Karofsky only added to her discomfort.

"Mike asked everyone over; he has something to say that he wants us all to hear, after he has spoken to Tina," said Sam in explanation, as he got up to give her a seat and fetch her a drink. "How were rehearsals?" Sam ignored the angry glare from Santana as Rachel began to complain about virtually everyone that she was working with. They were all grateful when Mike came back in, and Rachel shut up to allow him to speak.

"I got in. As of September, I will be studying at Juilliard." he said, and was immediately surrounded by his friends as they all congratulated him, even Rachel. "So, it looks like I will need to take you up on the offer of a place to stay. Question is, does Santana move in with Brittany, or do I share with Sam?"

A debate looked inevitable until there was an "Ahem!" as Sebastian cleared his throat. "Seeing as we are doing announcements, I have one to make too. As you are all aware, Dave is going to be here in New York now…and so we have decided to take the big step as boyfriends and move in together, after the summer. Now our Niff here will be newlyweds by then, and it doesn't seem fair of me to move Dave in next door - so we've decided to look for a place of our own…"

"You don't have to Seb," said Nick, placing an arm around Jeff, who looked rather upset. "We wouldn't mind at all."

"I know Nick, and I love every minute of living with you guys - you're my best friends and I will miss you… The main problem is that living here will make Dave's journey to school far too long, so we are going to try and find somewhere in Manhattan."

"At which point," said Cooper, "I step in. Just so happens that the house I bought has two parts - mine, and a self contained apartment on the ground floor. The tenant there has given me notice to quit, which is no bad thing. It will need a lick of paint, but it would be ready in three months or so. I could do a lot worse for tenants than you two, plus if you say yes now, you can have some say over the décor."

"Murray Hill would actually be more or less perfect - so in principle, it's a yes. We would need to take a quick look first, but Dave and I would be only too happy to move in."

"Which leaves us with an empty room, with Wes returning to Harvard by then," said Nick. He looked at Jeff, with a question in his eyes - he nodded, and Nick spoke again. "So, Mike, how would you feel about living with two Warblers with the same love of dance as you? Then no-one has to move rooms or share here…"

"We would really like that. We could dance around without any worries with you there - Sebastian isn't that keen on it. So, please, say yes - plus we both really like Tina too," said Jeff, barely able to contain his excitement at the prospect.

"When you put it like that, I would be silly to say no. As you say, it does mean that nobody has to move rooms over here." Mike ignored the look of disappointment on Santana's face - why she and Brittany didn't just move in together already he didn't know. He did feel slightly guilty about leaving Sam with the girls, but he was probably used to it by now - and he could always run across the landing if he needed male company. So, in that night, living arrangements were set up that would last for a few years.


	68. Opening Night

**March 2014 : Opening Night**

As it happened, many of those that had been in the court were back in the city towards the end of March, for a major event - the opening night of _Funny Girl_. Mike and Tina used it as an excuse to spend a few days together. Artie had invited Kitty to join him and to his surprise she had accepted - the first thing she showed him when she arrived was her letter from NYU, telling her that she had a place on her desired course. Wes had invited Beats and Flint along; they had initially been reluctant until he had pointed out that there was every likelihood of them ending up at a certain club… Trent and Rory appeared from Washington as Burt had a meeting in Ohio that he couldn't escape and the two tickets that Rachel had sent would otherwise have gone to waste. At the last moment, Quinn arrived - when she had heard how many people were coming, she felt that it was her place to represent herself and Puck at the show. Of course, Mr Schue had come to support Rachel - that he brought Sue Sylvester with him was a shocker, but she had promised to behave herself.

As they all took their seats, they noticed the three empty seats in the front row with the reserved labels on them - and photographs propped up on them. They hadn't expected to see that. Rory found himself sitting next to a picture of Kurt, sitting as he was in Burt's seat. Mr Schue was sat next to a photograph of Finn - he looked close to tears until Sue offered to swap, an offer he gladly accepted. It was only when the lights went down that those nearest to those seats felt a draught, and saw Finn, Kurt and Blaine, dressed in their wedding suits, taking their respective seats. They were the first people that Rachel saw as she stepped out onto the stage. She had known in her heart that they would be there - Finn smiling broadly, Blaine looking overjoyed, and Kurt giving her a thumbs up. That was all that she needed to deliver her best ever performance, stunning the critics and earning her the respect of the producers. She had been an untried risk, but she had shown them all that she was indeed the greatest star. At the end, she received a much deserved standing ovation when she came out to take her bows, even from Sue. Her star had shone so clearly that day, and would do so for many years to come.

Rachel got them all entry to the after party. She herself spent several minutes alone after the show, in her dressing room with her three boys. Finn's pride was obvious. He was so proud of her and what she had achieved in not the easiest of situations - three deaths, one after the other; moving house and being witness in a murder trial. A weaker woman would have fallen apart under the continual pressure - instead she had got stronger. Blaine was so glad that he had been able to be there and witness the moment that a star had been born. Kurt had no criticism, which was a first - he was just jealous that she had managed to achieve her dream - and he had been denied his chance by Hunter. He and Blaine had discussed building a replica of the Gershwin Theatre in time, in their version of New York, but he had quickly realised that it would not be the same without the audience and the supporting cast. Still, the idea of singing _I'm the Greatest Star_ for Blaine, on a stage, even in an empty theatre did appeal. Maybe they could sneak back into the theatre now that it had emptied of the first night audience.

In the end, that was exactly what he did. The lights still on, the set still in place, Kurt belted out the song to his husband. He did not know that Finn had overheard his whole plan; that Artie, who had heard him sing it as an audition track in his senior year, was distracting Rachel and that all of their other friends had crept back into the auditorium, to stand in the shadows as he sang. Every note perfect, the facial expressions a delight to behold. The first that Kurt knew of their presence was when they all started to applaud loudly as he took his bow. He looked back up, face bright red, at first angry at Blaine, until he heard Finn say "I told them, little brother. They didn't want to miss your Broadway debut, any more than Blaine. Now, take another bow, and then we will need to scram before Rachel catches us"

"Erm, too late," came Artie's voice, as he revealed that he and Rachel had been there all along - and she was applauding Kurt just as loudly as the rest of them.

As the applause died down, Cooper finally had a chance to check his phone - he discovered that he had a voicemail. He recognised the number and made a call. He talked quietly as around him people were congratulating Kurt on his performance, but just as those around him fell silent, he blurted out "Seriously? Well the answer is yes! I'd love to do it. I just can't believe that you are giving me this opportunity." He then fell silent again, listening to the voice on the other end of the phone, well aware that after his outburst, everyone was listening to him. Then, he replied "Ok, I will be there, Monday morning at 10am. And thanks again. I hope that I don't let you down." he ended the call, and slumped down on the nearest seat, his face a mixture of emotions.

"Coop?" said Blaine, his voice full of the concern that was showing on Grace's face.

He looked up at his little brother, and whispered "I got it, squirt." Blaine's face lit up; he turned to Kurt and repeated his words, getting another excited response.

"Ok, what has he got?" said Kitty, unable to stand the stalling.

Cooper smiled, and looked her straight in the eye, before saying "So, I hope you guys like coming to people's opening nights… You are looking at the new Charlie Price." He noticed the confused looks, and continued, "I am going to be one of the new stars in _Kinky Boots_. The show is transferring to London next year, and they are sending the current cast. They have chosen me to take over one of the lead roles. I'm going to be on Broadway!" Sam dashed over at that to pull his 'big brother' into a hug; Rachel was all smiles. As everyone began to offer him their congratulations, Nick and Jeff bouncing up and down with excitement, Cooper turned to his brother and Kurt and said "The name Hummel-Warbler is going to be up in lights on Broadway - it is going to be known. And when they ask me what I want written in the playbill, it will be that I dedicate my performance to the memory of Finn, Kurt and Blaine. Because if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be here to do this…"

After that, they ended up, with an inevitability, at the club. Where else would they have gone? Rachel was the obvious centre of attention that night, getting a round of applause when people noticed her arrival. She was asked to sing for them; rather than sing something from the show, she sang a newer song, one that she had recently discovered, called _Pumping Blood._ She found herself signing autographs, in more than one case directly onto someone's naked back. Shirts came off, and Beats was inundated with phone numbers, despite his repeated protestations that he was straight. Nick and Jeff were in there element, and hogged the dance floor with Mike and Brittany. At some point, the news that Cooper was also to be appearing on Broadway, in a show with some decidedly gay themes came out - Rachel's star waned slightly, but she wasn't too jealous - she just had to share her throne with Cooper.

There was one thing that made Rachel sad that night. It was the fact that most of those in the club could not see Kurt and Blaine dancing alongside Nick and Jeff - or Finn moving awkwardly next to Santana and Quinn. Life without them was never going to be the same. There would always be a hole in their circle of friends. At least now the trial was over, there was a wedding in the offing, and everybody's future was looking so bright…


	69. The end, or the beginning?

**The end, or the beginning?**

Elizabeth Hummel sat in her office and began to make her way through the mountain of paperwork that always seemed to face her on a Monday morning. Sometimes there were moments when she deeply regretted taking on the extra duties that had come with her seniority. Most of those days just happened to be Mondays - that was the day that the lists arrived, giving the names of those who would die in 6 months time. Those lists had never bothered her, until the day that as she scanned them, she came across the name _Hudson, Finn_ \- location, Lima, Ohio. That day she would cheerfully have given everything up just to have it reversed. She knew deep down that she had no choice in the matter - the decision were made on longevity before the child was even born. She had chosen to collect Finn herself - she felt that she owed it to Carole for all she did for Kurt.

That had taken her away from the office for nearly two weeks - the pile of papers on the first day she came back was the worst ever. She began with the most recent and worked her way back. As a result, it was a Tuesday morning when she came across it. If she had thought it was bad before, now it was one hundred times worse. There it was, in black and white - _Hummel, Kurt Elizabeth_; immediately below it _Anderson, Blaine Devon_ \- location New York. She had kept it hidden from Finn for as long as possible that he was going to be joined by his stepbrother and his fiancé. He had sobbed for hours when she finally broke the news. There was nothing she could do to prevent it - now they were here and she had to admit that Finn was much more competent than she had hoped (though she could have done with someone a bit more adept to assist her with the mundane paperwork). Blaine was nothing but charming, and Kurt - well she just loved having her son with her again. The trial had been a distraction for all of them, herself included. She had allowed things to slide a bit - on top of that, a glitch meant that the lists were being delayed. The list she was now handling was for the end of August...

'At least the trial is over now,' she thought, as she flicked through the list towards her, 'and the glitches have been sorted out, so hopefully things can get back to an even rhythm, some kind of normality.'

And then, she froze. Another name.

It seemed that death had not finished with those Ohio kids after all….

_I do like a nice cliffhanger..._

_I will be taking a little holiday, to work on the next instalments in this 'verse. The first will see Niff taking a holiday before their wedding. Hopefully that will begin in February. After that, the final part of Unicorns and Angels will appear - the subtitle being The Wings of the Warbler._

_Until then, thanks again for reading, and also to those that take the time to review - although I mainly write for pleasure, it is nice to get them._


End file.
